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Aluminium industry launches Circular Aluminium Action Plan for full circularity by 2030

Date

15 Apr 2020

Sections

Energy

Brussels, 15 April 2020 - Today, European Aluminium launched its Circular Aluminium Action Plan, a strategy for achieving aluminium’s full potential for a circular economy by 2030. The action plan aims to ensure that all end-of-life aluminium products are collected and recycled efficiently in Europe to maximise aluminium recycling rates and to keep the material in active use. It builds on the aluminium industry’s Vision 2050 and provides policy recommendations for the sector to achieve full circularity.

The aluminium industry is committed to helping deliver the European Green Deal, building on its long-standing commitment to sustainability. Our end goal is to achieve the full potential of aluminium circularity by 2030 and we won’t stop until we’ve achieved it. The Circular Aluminium Action Plan provides a roadmap for European policy makers and the European aluminium industry to work together to make this ambition a reality,” says Gerd Götz, European Aluminium’s Director General.

The aluminium industry has the potential to be a key driver in achieving Europe’s ambitions for a climate-neutral and circular economy. Aluminium is by nature circular and fit for multiple recycling: it can be recycled over-and-over again without losing its original properties (lightness, conductivity, formability, durability, permeability).

Furthermore, the aluminium recycling process requires only 5 percent of the energy needed to produce primary metal, leading to significant CO2 savings.

Aluminium recycling rates are already among the highest of all materials. In Europe, recycling rates in the automotive and building sectors are over 90 percent, while aluminium beverage cans have a recycling rate of 75 percent.

The forecasts and analysis in the Circular Aluminium Action Plan, which were developed in collaboration with Material Economics and CRU, show, however, that the big opportunity lies ahead. With the right policy framework in place, 50 percent of Europe’s demand for aluminium could be supplied through post-consumer recycling by mid-century. As a result, aluminium recycling could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 39 million tonnes per year by 2050 compared to today, which corresponds to a reduction of 46 percent of CO2 per year in 2050, achieved mostly by replacing carbon intensive primary aluminium imports from outside Europe with recycled domestic post-consumer aluminium. By increasing recycling rates, Europe can also reduce its dependency on imports and therefore its exposure to the risk of supply disruptions.

Per Klevnäs, Partner at Material Economics, comments:

“Aluminium recycling is a significant industrial and environmental opportunity for the EU. As more metal becomes available, the EU has a chance to build its economy increasingly on circular resources, capturing large value while reducing CO2 emissions. As the Circular Aluminium Action Plan shows, building this industry will take decisive policy support, new value chain collaborations, and technical as well as business model innovation.”

The executive summary and full version of the Circular Aluminium Action Plan are available on European Aluminium’s website.

About European Aluminium:

European Aluminium, founded in 1981 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the aluminium industry in Europe. We actively engage with decision makers and the wider stakeholder community to promote the outstanding properties of aluminium, secure growth and optimise the contribution our metal can make to meeting Europe’s sustainability challenges. Through environmental and technical expertise, economic and statistical analysis, scientific research, education and sharing of best practices, public affairs and communication activities, European Aluminium promotes the use of aluminium as a material with permanent properties that is part of the solution to achieving sustainable goals, while maintaining and improving the image of the industry, of the material and of its applications among their stakeholders. Our 80+ members include primary aluminium producers; downstream manufacturers of extruded, rolled and cast aluminium; producers of recycled aluminium and national aluminium associations are representing more than 600 plants in 30 European countries. Aluminium products are used in a wide range of markets, including automotive, transport, high-tech engineering, building, construction and packaging.

For further information, please contact: communications@european-aluminium.eu, +32 2 775 63 63