At Business Growth West Midlands, we’re committed to helping businesses unlock new opportunities in the circular economy. A circular economy focuses on recovering materials from waste streams and reintegrating them into supply chains, offering a powerful way to cut costs, improve margins, and retain economic value within our region.

Our region currently consumes over 26 million tonnes of minerals annually, with most raw materials imported. At the same time, we produce a waste stream of 17 million tonnes locally and over 40 million tonnes nationally. By recovering valuable materials from this waste—like scrap steel—we can reduce reliance on imports, cut costs, and create a more sustainable future.

Focusing on scrap steel

Scrap steel presents an immediate and exciting opportunity. Currently, over 80% of our region’s scrap steel is exported for processing, meaning much of its value is lost to the local economy. By establishing cost-effective circular routes, businesses in the West Midlands can:

• Reduce steel costs for metalworkers
• Improve margins for stockists and scrap merchants
• Retain economic value within the region

To achieve this, we’re conducting an audit of scrap steel production across the West Midlands to identify commercially viable solutions.

How your business can get involved

If your business generates scrap steel, we need your input! Completing our audit will help us create an accurate picture of available resources, ensuring we can quantify the opportunities and deliver financial benefits back to businesses like yours.

Complete the audit here.

By participating, you’ll be contributing to a ground-breaking initiative that could transform supply chains and bring tangible benefits to your business. Together, we can build a stronger, more sustainable economy for the West Midlands.