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2022 Sustainability Report
Meeting Demand for Recycled Metals

Delivering High-Quality Metals Through
Advanced Recovery Technology

Our innovative metals recovery systems, strategically located on the East and West Coasts of the U.S. as well as in the heart of manufacturing activity in the southeastern U.S., diversify our product offerings and enhance our ability to competitively meet the needs of our domestic and international customers. These advanced technology systems at our major recycling operations enable us to extract more nonferrous metals, including copper and aluminum, from our shredding activities, improve the efficiency of our processes to meet global metal content and quality requirements on a cost-effective basis, and create product optionality and additional furnace-ready materials that can be marketed globally. These investments also support our Sustainability objectives of increasing recycling and reducing waste.

Our Products in an Accelerating Marketplace

Schnitzer delivers recycled products like copper and aluminum that are essential to a growing marketplace focused on metal-intensive clean-energy production and low-carbon technologies.

Relative importance of minerals for a particular clean energy technology3:

  • High
  • Moderate
  • Low
Energy Type Copper Aluminium Cobalt Nickel Lithium REEs1 Chromium Zinc PGMs2
Solar PV
Copper
 Aluminium
 Cobalt
 Nickel
 Lithium
 REEs1
 Chromium
 Zinc
 PGMs2
Wind
Copper
 Aluminium
 Cobalt
 Nickel
 Lithium
 REEs1
 Chromium
 Zinc
 PGMs2
EVs &
Battery
Storage
Copper
 Aluminium
 Cobalt
 Nickel
 Lithium
 REEs1
 Chromium
 Zinc
 PGMs2

FY2022 Nonferrous Product Mix

Pie chart showing FY2022 Nonferrous Product Mix
54%

Nonferrous other:

  • Aluminum—27%
  • Copper—14%
  • Stainless Steel—7%
  • Other base metal—6%
46%

Nonferrous from
shredder production:

  • Zorba—30%
  • Twitch—10%
  • Zurik—3%
  • Others—3%

Nonferrous Sales Volumes4
(M lbs)

Bar chart showing Nonferrous Sales Volumes from 2019 to 2022

1 Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

2 Platinum Group Metals (PGMs)

3 Source: https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions/mineral-requirements-for-clean-energy-transitions

4 Source: https://www.schnitzersteel.com/documents/2022-q4-earnings-conf-call-presentation.pdf

Advanced Metals Recovery Technologies Across Schnitzer Operations

In fiscal 2022, we furthered our technology deployment across Schnitzer’s growing footprint. Our strategically located investments expand the reach of metals recovery systems to serve our regional operations, furthering our goal to generate more furnace-ready, higher-value products and increase product options for our customers.

Primary Nonferrous Recovery

Utilizing a wet system to maximize metal recovery and reduce the quantity of valuable recyclables sent to landfill, this technology recovers ferrous and nonferrous metals, particularly copper-rich materials such as insulated copper wire, as well as stainless steel and aluminum.

Advanced Copper Separation

Our insulated copper wire chopping and shredding processes cut and separate the copper from plastic materials, producing both increased volumes and a wider range of products for our customers.

Advanced Aluminum Separation

Our advanced aluminum separation technology enables us to upgrade our mixed nonferrous products into higher value, furnace-ready products.

Technology, Product Optionality1

Graphic showing Technology, Product Optionality

1 Source: See Schnitzer’s FORM 10-K filing for product definitions

2 Zorba is primarily aluminum.

3 Zurik is primarily stainless steel.

4 Twitch is light gauge recycled aluminum.

Chairman & CEO Message How Schnitzer Creates Value Recycled Materials and Circular Economy Supporting Circular Economy Our Operational Footprint Managing ESG at Schnitzer Sustainability Governance and Principles Stakeholder Engagement Sustainability Goals Meeting Demand for Recycled Metals Advanced Recovery Technologies Environmental Management Climate Action Through Emissions Reduction Indirect Emissions Net Zero Carbon Emissions Steel Water Conservation Biodiversity Safety A Conversation with Suresh Rajapakse Culture Benchmarking Diversity Employee Resource Groups Engaging Employees Everyday Ethics & Compliance Training, Education, Development & Recognition Health & Wellness Cultivating Community Supporting Children & Families Engaging Tomorrow’s Workforce Addressing Food Insecurity Environmental Advocacy

Nonferrous Sales Volumes4
(M lbs)

4 Source: https://www.schnitzersteel.com/documents/2022-q4-earnings-conf-call-presentation.pdf

Technology, Product Optionality1

Nonferrous material from shredder production goes into our primary nonferrous recovery facility that results in nonferrous products (Zorba2, Zurik3, Insulated Copper Wire). These products then go to advanced aluminum separation and advanced copper separation. Both separation processes produce higher value products: For advanced aluminum separation this is twitch4, copper, zinc, brass, stainless, and mixed heavies). For advanced copper separation this is refinery grade copper, mixed heavies (copper, brass, zinc), and stainless.

1 Source: See Schnitzer’s FORM 10-K filing for product definitions.

2 Zorba is primarily aluminum.

3 Zurik is primarily stainless steel.

4 Twitch is light gauge recycled aluminum.