Aluminium

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WHAT WE SAY:

When aluminium was first mass produced, its light weight, strength and flexibility meant it was seen as a space age material that would change the world. Now we have a chance to put it back on that pedestal, this time because of its infinite recyclability.

Historically, its production required huge amounts of energy, but a combination of new technologies being used during the smelting process, the shift towards renewable energy sources and the ability to use increasingly high amounts of recycled aluminium means that these objections are rapidly weakening. Brazil already sees aluminium can recycling rates above 97%. If the rest of the world could catch up, it would be a huge step towards true circularity.

Aluminium nuggets / Source: Shutterstock

WHAT IS ALUMINIUM?

Aluminium is a versatile, lightweight, flexible, strong, non-toxic and corrosion-resistant metal.
It is the third most common element in the earth’s crust and the second most used metal.
The metal can be easily cast, machined, bent, tapered, and alloyed, but also does not degrade with repeated use.
Thanks to these favourable properties, aluminium has a wide range of uses including cans, foils, electrical transmission lines and aeroplane parts.
It is infinitely recyclable – the Aluminium Association claims that almost 75% of aluminium ever produced is still in use today.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Flexible
Lightweight
Recyclable
Recycled
Strong

INDUSTRY:

Beauty
Food & Beverage
Packaging

AVAILABILITY:

Mass Market

DIVE DEEPER:

The first industrial large-scale aluminium production method was developed by French engineer Paul Héroult and American engineer Charles Martin Hall in 1886.
Aluminium production consists of two phases: in the first stage, bauxite ore is mined and refined to extract aluminium oxide through the Bayer process. The second phase consists of the Hall-Heroult process of smelting the aluminium oxide to release pure aluminium.
As of 2019, the world's largest smelters of aluminium are China, India, Russia, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. China produces more than half (around 55%) of the world’s aluminium.
Producing aluminium is incredibly energy intensive. The industry contributes roughly 2% of global greenhouse emissions – equivalent to about 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide – and demand is forecast to increase by 50% by 2050.
The environmental footprint of aluminium varies significantly depending on its production (see below) – the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) has a comprehensive deep dive on decarbonising the aluminium sector.
As well as its versatility, aluminium’s main benefit is its ability to be infinitely recycled, unlike plastic, which can typically only be recycled a handful of times before losing its quality.
Aluminium food and beverage cans are spray coated in a thin, food-safe polymer lacquer to prevent the can from reacting with the contents inside. When recycled, this is burnt off during the smelting process.

KEY FACTS:

95%

Producing recycled aluminium consumes 95% less energy than virgin aluminium

$206bn

Projected value of the aluminium market in 2030

97.4%

The recycling rate of aluminium cans in Brazil in 2020

Key Questions to Ask:

Can you source recycled aluminium?

Compared to producing virgin aluminium from raw bauxite, the industry claims that producing recycled aluminium consumes 95% less energy and produces 97% fewer greenhouse gases. Where efficient infrastructure exists, the recycling process is relatively straightforward. Can producer Novelis reports that aluminium beverage cans are recycled, refilled and back on supermarket shelves in as little as 60 days.

Where does it come from?

The CSIS reports that 72% of the emissions related to the primary production of aluminium are related to electricity. This is why Chinese aluminium, produced with predominantly coal-powered electricity, has a vastly different emissions profile to that produced in Canada, where 90% of aluminium is produced in Quebec with hydroelectric power.

How is it produced?

As well as the shift towards renewable energy, producers such as Elysis and Vedanta are rolling out innovations to the traditional smelting process in order to reduce or even totally decarbonise its production.

Where will it be consumed?

Recycling rates of aluminium vary widely, and the higher they are, the closer the material comes to being truly circular. An industry-funded study found a recycling rate in the automotive industry of 91%. US aluminium manufacturer Ball reports that in 2020, the recycling rate for aluminium cans was 97.4% in Brazil, 75.8% in Europe and only 45.2% in the US.

What will it be used for?

As with all materials, the end use case matters. For example, aluminium beverage cans are generally lighter than plastic bottles, which means fewer transport-related emissions. However, you should also bear in mind the customer context: water bottles are often resealed, while beer cans are typically consumed in a single sitting. For food and beverage uses, ensure that the inner coating is BPA-free.