Stainless steel is 100% recyclable. It is the ideal material for a multitude of applications. Indeed, from the very outset, all stainless steel products that leave the factory already have their own history attached to them. 'New' stainless steel products typically contain recycled content of around 60%.

That laboratory sink or stainless steel splashback may have enjoyed a previous life as a water pipe or catering canopy.


As it nears its centenary year, this highly recyclable material is proving to be more popular than ever, with a growing demand for consumer goods forged out of this corrosion-free alloy.

Indeed, it is now one of the oldest kids on the block; since its discovery in Sheffield in 1913, a further 18 metals have been discovered by mankind. In addition, there's the small matter of two world wars that have been fought, not to mention the arrival of nuclear fission.

While there are many superlatives that can be used to describe this high quality metal - shiny, lustrous, durable, elegant, impervious - 'new' is not one of them. So why is it that this centenarian metal has found a new lease of life, and is now being utilised in everything from stainless steel worktops to stainless steel shower trays?


Modern, minimalist homes are increasingly being kitted out with stainless steel fixtures and fittings throughout. Stainless steel fabrication is booming. When exactly did steel become so essential and so, well, sexy? To answer that question, it is necessary to first consider the state of 21st-century consumer culture.