Recycling Aluminium and Copper
By Anna Yildiran
Approximately 25% or the Earth’s crust is made of metallic elements, with Aluminium being the most abundant one[1]. However, extracting metals from raw materials is an energy-intensive process, and results in significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This has led multiple industries to shift their focus towards metal recycling.
Recycling metal offers multiple advantages:
▶️Using less energy
▶️Emitting less GHGs
▶️Preserving natural resources
▶️Reducing the amount of waste going into landfills
One reason metal recycling is so popular is that most metals are infinitely recyclable. This means that their inherent properties remain intact, even when they are remelted and resolidified during the recycling process. Apart from minor impurities that may persist, recycled metals can achieve high purity levels and be continuously reintroduced into the market.
In this discussion, we will focus on aluminium and copper, two widely used and recycled metals. Both were on the 2023 critical raw materials list implemented by the EU, highlighting the importance of properly managing these valuable resources.
Understanding the Importance of Aluminium and Copper as Critical Raw Materials
Critical Raw Materials are indispensable for the EU economy and essential technologies in sectors such as renewable energy, digital, aerospace, and defence. These materials are highly important both economically and strategically, and their high demand and limited supply raises concerns about potential disruptions in their supply chain.
To ensure a secure and sustainable supply, the EU continually updates its list of Critical Raw Materials (CRM). These materials are key to the EU’s efforts to meet their climate and digitalization goals, and they are a priority in the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan, which emphasizes material efficiency and recycling.
Both aluminium and copper are included in the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), with copper being classified as a strategic raw material, meaning it plays a crucial role in technologies that are of both geopolitical and economic significance [2].
Critical contributions of Aluminium and Copper
Aluminium is critical for its lightweight properties and versatility, which make it integral in areas like transportation (aerospace and automotive) and energy efficiency. It is essential for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions, especially in electric vehicles, where its lighter weight directly translates to less energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions [3]. According to some experts, Aluminium is also one of, if not the most important material, for defence industries, including aeronautics and military equipment, where it faces high supply risks [4].
Copper, on the other hand, is essential due to its high electrical and thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and malleability. It is a widely used material in electrical infrastructure and renewable energy systems. While aluminium can be considered as a substitute for copper in wiring, it’s less effective due to its susceptibility to corrosion, which leads to conduction losses [5].
As demand for these metals continues to rise, the EU’s efforts to ensure secure access and provideefficient recycling will be crucial in maintaining the flow of aluminium and copper for the future.
How does the metal recycling process work?
While the recycling process can vary slightly depending on the metal, the key steps generally remain the same [8] [9] :
- Recovery of scraps (Cleaning and Sorting)
- Melting the scraps
- Refining and purifying the melted metal
- Solidifying and reshaping the metal so that it can be reused in new manufacturing processes.
According to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), producing one tonne of primary aluminium generates approximately 11 tonnes of CO2, while producing 1 tonnes of copper results in about 6 tonnes of CO2 [10].
Recycling metals significantly reduces energy use and emissions. For example, producing secondary copper can save up to 85% of the energy compared to primary production [11], while also reducing CO2 emissions by 65% [12]. Recycling aluminium is even more energy-efficient, only 5% of the energy required for primary aluminium production is needed for recycling [13].
How efficiently are these metals being recycled?
When we talk about recycling, there are some key statistics to be taken into consideration, their definitions are given below [17], and they can be visualized by looking at the figure of the overview of metal flow through the value chain 1. The figure has been modified from the International Copper Association’s figure EU28 Copper stocks & flows 2020. The original figure can be found here.
The Joint Research Commission of the European Commission (JRC), using 2021 data from the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) and 2018 data from the International Copper Alliance (ICA), has calculated the previously mentioned statistics for both metals [18]. The global EoL CR for copper, covering the period from 2009 to 2018, was calculated by the ICA and Fraunhofer ISI in 2020 [19].
The ORER for Aluminium was not found during the research process.
Can recycling keep up with the demand for these metals?
While aluminium and copper are excellent candidates for a circular economy due to their infinite recycling potential, there is a big growing global demand driven by population growth, technological innovation, and economic development and unfortunately, the recycling rates we’re achieving today are insufficient to meet this need. This challenge is partly because products containing these metals, such as buildings and vehicles, remain in use for years before they are eventually discarded and recycled [15] [16]. However, there are exceptions to this, like aluminium beverage cans, which are often back on the market in just two months after being recycled [20]!
Another challenge is the presence of impurities that might persist during the recycling process. While many industries can tolerate these impurities (because they are minimal), certain sectors such as aerospace materials or precision instruments require higher purity levels, meaning there is still a need for primary production.
In conclusion, while progress is being made, achieving a fully circular economy for aluminium and copper still requires improving recycling efficiency, as well as addressing the broader challenges of consumption habits and technological limitations.
1 The formulas shown for EoL RIR and RIR are a simplified version meant to illustrate the concept of the recycling input rate. They exclude import and export values and are provided solely to help explain the function and significance of the metric.
Sources
[1] https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanwater.html
[2] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials_en
[3] https://scrreen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SCRREEN2_factsheets_ALUMINIUM-update2.pdf
[4] https://warm.2050now.com/matieres-premieres/pour-sa-defense-leurope-devra-aussi-mener-la-guerre-des-metaux-1467/
[5] https://scrreen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SCRREEN2_factsheets_COPPER-update.pdf
[6] https://european-aluminium.eu/about-aluminium/aluminium-in-use/
[7] https://internationalcopper.org/sustainable-copper/about-copper/copper-an-essential-resource/
[8] https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1765476/FULLTEXT01.pdf
[9] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123024008211
[10] https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/3af7fda6-8fd9-46b7-bede-395f7f8f9943/RecyclingofCriticalMinerals.pdf
[11] https://www.wri.org/insights/pivotal-role-recycled-copper-energy-transition
[12] https://mrai.org.in/theindustry/non-ferrousmetals.html
[13] https://international-aluminium.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/wa_factsheet_final.pdf
[14] https://internationalcopper.org/sustainable-copper/about-copper/copper-life-cycle/
[15] https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/11/aluminium-demand-how-to-make-it-sustainable/
[16] https://internationalcopper.org/fr/resource/copper-recycling/
[17] https://internationalcopper.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ICA-RecyclingBrief-202201-A4-R2.pdf
[18] https://rmis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/rmp/
[19] https://internationalcopper.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ICA-RecyclingBrief-202201-A4-R2.pdf
[20] https://www.speira.com/aluminium-recycling/
Member of the European PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) Technical Advisory Board
Member of the French ADEME environmental labelling working group
