ABOUT US
At its core, FERIS (The Foundation for Ethical Recycling of Industrial Scrap) is focused on improving the way scrap metal is designed for, managed, recovered, and returned to productive use within the circular economy. We promote greater responsibility across the full product life cycle by encouraging better product design, stronger scrap metal recycling practices, and the principles of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) so that manufacturers, suppliers, consumers, and recyclers all play a more active role in responsible product design and material recovery.
We envision an approach to industrial scrap recycling that promotes environmental stewardship by strengthening industry best management practices (BMPs), responsible business conduct, and circular economy sustainability. Our goal is to encourage “Impeccable Integrity“ at all levels of the industry so that businesses operate with the well-being of their employees, surrounding communities, the environment, and society in mind.
This responsibility extends throughout the entire supply chain—from designers and manufacturers to suppliers, consumers, recyclers, and material processors. As an organization dedicated to encouraging positive change, FERIS seeks to help strengthen ethical standards throughout the product and material life cycle. We believe that responsible product design, informed material choices, safer industrial practices, and greater accountability can contribute to improved health, safety, environmental performance, and resource recovery. Just as importantly, greater awareness can help manufacturers and suppliers better understand the downstream consequences that product design decisions create for scrap metal recyclers and the communities in which they operate.
The Foundation for Ethical Recycling of Industrial Scrap (FERIS) exists as a qualified 501(c)(3) / 509(a)(2) nonprofit organization to promote education, collaboration, ethical conduct, and responsible practices that can help shape the future of industrial scrap recycling. Accomplishing this requires a holistic view of the environmental, social, and operational impacts for which businesses and individuals share responsibility, along with meaningful collaboration among the people and organizations capable of advancing positive change.
While FERIS advocates for elevated standards in recycling BMPs, environmental stewardship, ethical business practices, and stakeholder engagement, we also recognize that strengthening the circular economy requires attention far beyond the recycling facility itself. It includes improving product design, encouraging the use of best available technologies (BATs) within heavy industry, drawing upon the expertise of academic and scientific communities, promoting responsible material recovery, and helping consumers better understand how their choices affect the recycling process.
Our mission is to serve as a resource and facilitator for these efforts by encouraging industry-wide partnerships, supporting and publishing academic and educational research, advocating for more sustainable and responsible product design, advancing recycling education, and promoting community outreach that strengthens understanding of industrial scrap recycling and its importance within the circular economy.
FERIS is a multifaceted project built around education, research, original content, and continued engagement with the industrial recycling community. Our work includes a curated library of resources and educational materials, original articles and research developed by our team, a book currently in development, and ongoing efforts to share these ideas while building a broader community of individuals and organizations interested in ethical and responsible scrap metal recycling.
If you care about ethical recycling this is the place for you, and we invite you to use our site as a starting point for better understanding these issues. From our distinctive library of resources to articles crafted by our team of in-house experts, you are sure to find what you need here regardless of where you are on your responsible recycling journey.
