Mexico’s DEACERO Uses 97% Recycled Steel, Cuts Emissions

DEACERO reinforced its position in 2024 as Mexico’s leading steel recycler, producing steel with 97% recycled content and reporting the lowest emissions per ton in North America. The company aims to reduce its carbon emissions intensity by 56% by 2030 as part of its decarbonization roadmap.

“Sustainability is not an option, but the only path forward to generate value with purpose,” said Board Chairman Raúl Gutiérrez Muguerza during the release of DEACERO’s 2024 Sustainability Report.

The report highlighted significant resource efficiency gains: each ton of steel now consumes just 0.58 cubic meters of water, far below the national average of 5.2, and over half of products are transported by rail to cut energy use. DEACERO also plans to source 60% of its energy from clean sources by 2030—11 times the current Mexican industry average.

Founded in Monterrey in 1952, DEACERO has grown into an international company with 7,000 employees, three steel mills, more than 20 wire plants and recycling centers, and 70 distribution hubs across the Americas and Europe. In 2024, local sourcing hit a record 93%, while expansion continued with a new wire plant in Mexicali and the Ramos II steel mill in Coahuila.

Innovation highlights include Neutrum, a brand that allows clients to offset embedded carbon through nature-based projects. Social initiatives through the DEACERO Foundation invested 65.7 million pesos, benefiting 42,000 people directly and indirectly, with support to civil society reaching 1.2 million.

The company’s sustainability leadership has been recognized with ISO 14001 certification, EcoVadis bronze, and the UN Global Compact LOGRA 2024 award in the Planet category.