Gun Recycling

Getting guns off the streets and preventing them from ever being used in an act of violence is why the cities of Cleveland and Cleveland Heights along with Arcelor Mittal employees attended the 9th Annual Gun Melt event held at ArcelorMittal on Eggers Avenue in Cleveland. Mayor Frank G. Jackson was joined by Cleveland Division of Police, Chief Calvin Williams and Vice President and General Manager, ArcelorMittal Cleveland, Eric Hauge for brief remarks at the 2015 Gun Melt.

This year’s gun melt was held to recycle nearly 200 guns that were surrendered at the 2015 Gun Buy-Back, where citizens exchanged firearms for gift cards and other items.  Through the 2015 City of Cleveland Gun Buy-Back, citizens exchanged 158 firearms for gift cards for gas or groceries. The Cleveland Heights Gun Buy-Back collected an additional 42 weapons. In the past nine years, more than 2,900 weapons have been collected through the Cleveland Gun Buy-Back program.

The guns were placed into the No. 1 Basic Oxygen Furnace iron ladle and were melted by approximately 200 tons of molten iron, at temperatures of about 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit. The molten iron, along with the scraps, were charged in the basic oxygen furnace to make steel which will eventually be used to manufacture cars, household appliances and other goods. 

Attendees for this event also included Charles W. Lane Jr., Executive Director, Cleveland Police Foundation; Thomas Scott, Vice President, United Steelworkers Local 97; and Mike Madar, Division Manager, Steel Producing, ArcelorMittal Cleveland.