Steel is the most widely-recycled material in the United States. One area recycling center hopes that its new facility will make it easier for people to "go green."

Steel Etc. in Great Falls recycles everything from soda cans to giant farm combines. Previously located on 3rd Street South in old downtown, the company recently moved into a new location on 52nd Stree North, increasing its size from four acres to 16.

Salvage Department manager Joe Filipowicz hopes that the new home will better serve those interested in recycling their scrap iron, stainless steel, insulated wire, and pretty much anything made of metal.

"This new facility is more user-friendly," said Filipowicz. "We have an inbound and outbound scales. People won't have to wait as long, compared to the crowded bottle-neck at the old place. People can easily get to the pile and get paid."

One newer feature at Steel Etc. is a Sierra T-900 metal shear, recently purchased for 1.5 million dollars.

"Our brand new machine chops it into pieces and then we send it out on the railroad and it is made into new product," Filipowicz said.

Farmers, ranchers, and contractors make up a large portion of the customer base, recycling everything from old combines to I beams, to pipes from projects. In recent years, about three quarters of steel produced nationally has been recycled.

"Why have it go to a landfill. We are trying to go green and we want to continue to play a big role in recycling."

Steel does not lose any of its inherent physical properties during the recycling process, making it an ideal material to reuse.

The company still provides customers with new steel at the downtown location, but the entire operation will be fully moved by next month.

The energy saved by recycling reduces annual energy consumption of the steel industry by about 75%. That is enough to power 18 million homes for one year.