OREANDA-NEWS. The San Andres Island in the Colombian Caribbean is the country's main tourist destination, offering tourists pristine beaches and native vegetation. To preserve these natural beauties, Gerdau together with another 17 public, private, and international entities have joined forces to make the first withdrawal of scrap from San Andres Island. The material collected was transported to the mainland by the Colombian Navy and will be recycled by Gerdau Diaco and other companies involved in the action. Materials were removed from the island such as refrigerators, tires, computers, batteries, and light bulbs.

The initiative had the support of the Government of San Andres, the Navy, the National Association of Entrepreneurs of Colombia (ANDI), Gerdau Diaco, and other companies in the region.

Gerdau is the leading manufacturer of long steel in the Americas and a major global supplier of special long steels. The company recently began operations in two new Brazilian markets, with the production of flat steel and the expansion of its iron mining activities, initiatives that are expanding its product mix and the competitiveness of its operations.

With more than 45,000 employees, Gerdau has industrial operations in 14 countries - the Americas, Europe and Asia - with a combined installed capacity of more than 25 million tons of steel a year. It is also Latin America's biggest recycler and, worldwide, transforms millions of tons of scrap metal into steel every year, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development in the regions where it operates.

With more than 120,000 shareholders, Gerdau's shares are listed on the New York, São Paulo and Madrid stock exchanges.