- No limits. “Aluminium is a highly recyclable metal. With an accumulated aluminium product inventory since 1888 estimated at 600 million metric tons, the availability of aluminium scrap is not a constraint. And producing recycled aluminium requires just 5 percent of the energy required to produce the primary metal.”
- Regional hubs. "Asia Pacific is the leading manufacturing hub for recycled aluminium, with 45 percent of global production in 2013. Production in Brazil, China and India is rapidly increasing.”
- Major markets. “End-use sectors such as transportation, construction, packaging and steel production are the major recycled aluminium markets.Total global recycled aluminium usage by end-use sectors will reach 26.5 million metric tons by 2023.”
- Key drivers.“Used beverage can recycling will be a key factor in the usage and growth of recycled aluminium, as will awareness programs like the American Action to Accelerate Recycling.”
- Key constraints.“Global availability of aluminium scrap for domestic industries, particularly in some Western countries that are increasingly exporting to Asia, is a worry. Scrap grades that contain impurities also pose problems.”
Recyclability in the circular economy
Recyclability also is a major part of the equation in the circular economy, as a factor that needs to be considered in the design phase, then evaluated in parallel with cost and performance.
You need to measure the overall impact of a product during its entire lifecycle. Like this: Lightweight composite material might make a car more fuel efficient, but it is less recyclable, which means that this calculation needs to be made.
