STEEL RECYCLING
RRT has an expanding steel business. It is the largest privately owned scrap steel business in the South Island. RRT acts as a clearinghouse for small and medium sized scrap metal operators in the South Island.Recycled steel is used in the steel making process and is regularly , purchased in huge quantities to be remelted by the Asian steel mills. In 2002 in excess of 450 million tonnes of recycled scrap steel was used in the steel making process. The predominant market for New Zealand steel is in Asia where RRT has established many important export contacts.
Stockpiling and exporting heavy steel is a specialised business. A large land area is required to build a mountain of steel and expensive machinery such as excavators, shears and industrial magnets are required to process and move it. A large stockpile of steel is required before it becomes cost effective to export. Steel is exported from New Zealand ports in bulk-loaded ships every two or three months and the RRT plant is conveniently located to Port Lyttelton ensuring ease in transportation of its steel and other products.