Is PVD coloured stainless steel sustainable?

Stainless steel is fully recyclable, with 100% of it being recyclable and approximately 95% being recycled at the end of its life as an item.  The application of PVD coating does not interfere with this process, PVD coated stainless steel can still be recycled through standard methods. On average, new stainless steel products contain around 60% recycled content.

The PVD coating process itself does not involve the use of chemicals. Prior to coating, cleaning is typically carried out using cloths along with citric acid, or soap, and water.

The environmental impact of this cleaning process depends largely on the type of cloth used. Microfibre cloths, made from polyester or nylon, can shed plastic particles, do not biodegrade and contribute to pollution. A more sustainable alternative is cloths made from 100% bamboo fibre, which are biodegradable.