Aceros AZA wins global Steelie Award for circular economy project

Chilean company Aceros AZA has won first place globally in the Excellence in Communications Programmes category at the 2026 Steelie Awards, organized by the Worldsteel Association. The company was the only steelmaker from Latin America to receive an award in this edition, surpassing global industry leaders such as POSCO, Hyundai Steel, and Gerdau.

The award recognizes the “Salas que Sanan” (Rooms that Heal) project, a public-private initiative developed in partnership with the Chilean government. The project utilized green steel produced from the melting and destruction of over 24,000 seized and decommissioned firearms at the company’s Colina plant. This recycled material was transformed into modular infrastructure designed to provide socio-emotional support for vulnerable students at the Tomás Vargas y Arcaya Basic School in Maipú.

The Worldsteel jury highlighted the company’s ability to use a circular economy strategy to repurpose waste associated with violence into a community asset for child protection and well-being.