World Economic Forum Focuses on Aluminum’s Infinite Recyclability

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The World Economic Forum (WEF) cited “infinite recyclability” of aluminum as the potential solution to emissions issue that continue to hamper aluminum industry’s performance.

According to WEF, nearly 90% of the today’s aluminum emissions are associated with primary production. By promoting the use of recycled materials, the industry could significantly reduce emissions. It must be noted that the energy requirement for production using secondary or recycled aluminum is only 5% of that required for primary production of the metal.

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At current recycling rates, the boost in primary aluminum production will translate to around 45% rise in sectoral emissions. The rise in global population will boost the demand for aluminum. The primary focus of the industry must be to boost aluminum’s already high global recycling rate of 73%, which in turn will further reduce the emissions. As per estimates, approximately 7 million tonnes of aluminum are not recycled each year. Also, 27% of aluminum waste is not collected for recycling.

The WEF report recommends that the industry must collaborate across the value chain and create effective circular business models.