The invention is directed to a method for processing asbestos-containing steel scrap into useful products, which products can be handled in a safe manner. In accordance with the present invention the asbestos-containing steel scrap is melted in a furnace, which results in destruction of the asbestos fibers. It has been found possible to carry out such a process in an economically feasible manner. In accordance with the invention asbestos-containing steel is heated to high temperature so that the steel melts. As a result the asbestos will be converted into harmless material, which allows for safe handling and processing of the resulting products.

The invention relates to a device and a method for cleaning a gas in a confined environment, said device comprising a cleaning room with an inlet for the gas to be cleaned, an inlet for a reactant gas for combustion in said cleaning room and an ignition device for combusting said reaction gas, and an outlet for the mixture of cleaned gas and combustion products from the cleaning space. The reactant gas comprises a substantially stoichiometric mixture of H.sub.2 and O.sub.2.

The inlet for the gas to be cleaned may be in contact with the residence environment and the cleaning room, and the outlet for the mixture of cleaned gas and combustion products may be in contact with the cleaning room and the residence environment. The device also comprises a radiation element that is in radiating contact with the residence environment, wherein the radiation element is in heat-exchanging contact with at least one of [a] the combustion flame of the reactant gas and [b] the mixture of cleaned gas and combustion products from the cleaning space.

The method and device may be used for cleaning exhaust gases of a vehicle.

A recycling disposal system is provided, the system efficiently combining the respective devices of a shredder, a carbonization furnace, and a gasification furnace to provide a new system combining low-temperature asbestos detoxification processing technology with biomass processing and recycling technology, and capable of energy-self-sufficient processing when operated in a disaster area.