How do we avoid a potential scrap surplus?

In the previous video, we illustrated how aluminium’s high reactivity results in cascading use when recycled: from alloys that use few alloying elements in low quantities to alloys that use many alloying elements in large quantities. The top of the cascade consists of wrought alloys such as packaging and building products, and the bottom of the cascade comprises secondary castings which are mainly used in engine blocks of cars and other engine parts.

We illustrated that this system cannot be sustained over an extended period because the engines of conventional vehicles cannot absorb the increasing amounts of scrap.

A continuation of the current cascade would therefore result in a scrap surplus that cannot be recycled. If the scrap cannot be recycled, more primary aluminium would be needed, causing higher energy use and emissions. We therefore concluded that we need to transform the aluminium cycle into a system in which individual alloy families are kept in separate loops. The goal is to use aluminium in a smarter way that slows down the cascading.

This video describes intervention options for ensuring that all aluminium scrap can be recycled into new useful applications.

Automobiles are used as a case to illustrate that this will require cooperation among all actors in the value chain.