Aluminium – a strategic material

Aluminium is the ideal recycling material. It can be recycled several times without losing its original attributes (such as lightness, conductivity, mouldability, durability and its barrier functions). After the recycling process, a high-quality end product is obtained that can be reused in all applications.

Worldwide, 75% of the aluminium ever produced is still in use today. The recycling rates of aluminium are among the highest of all materials. In Europe and Switzerland, recycling rates in the transport and construction sectors are over 90%.

Aluminium components are also very durable, which in turn has a positive effect on the CO2 balance. In the construction industry, for example, they are often used for more than 50 years without any difficulty, especially for façades, windows and doors. The material properties of aluminium are wide-ranging, which is important not only for the construction industry, but also for the transport sector. Thanks to aluminium, the CO2 footprint can be reduced: It has a low weight, is thermally insulating, conductive, fireproof, UV-resistant, durable and does not rust.

Aluminium is a partner on the road to a climate-neutral society. Aluminium is indispensable for the expansion of renewable energies and electromobility.

CO2 emissions along the aluminium value chain (cradle-to-gate)

  • Around 75% of total CO2 emissions from the global aluminium industry come from metal production through electrolysis.
  • Of this, four-fifths comes from indirect emissions generated by electricity production in fossil-fuelled power plants.
  • The process with the second largest CO2 emissions of around 15% is the production of aluminium oxide as a starting material for electrolysis.
  • Today, the production of low-carbon aluminium is mainly based on the use of recycled aluminium and hydropower, as used in aluminium smelters in Scandinavia.
  • China, the world’s largest producer of primary aluminium with a 60% market share, uses over 80% coal power for aluminium production!

The Swiss aluminium industry sees the circular economy as more than just recycling or waste management. Rather, it is about not using up raw materials and resources wherever possible but keeping them in circulation.

 

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Aluminium Laufen AG Liesberg
Industriestrasse 5, CH-4253 Liesberg
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