Circular Economy through Aluminium

Circular Economy through Aluminium

Subject – Economy

Context – According to Ellen McArthur Foundation, the demand for vital raw materials like plastic, concrete, aluminium, and steel will increase four-fold, resulting in worldwide CO2 emission of 649 billion tonnes by 2100.

Concept –

• A Circular economy would essentially mean moving away from a ‘Take, Make and Dispose of’ model that has seen its time through a linear economy to the ‘7 R’s’ of Sustainability — Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot (composting food scraps).
• It extends beyond recyclability, focusing on keeping products as resources at the end of their lifecycle and giving a similar output as its linear counterpart with minimal ecological and environmental impact.
• The ‘7 R’s’ of Sustainability applies to both saving the environment and living a zero-waste life

Aluminium

• Aluminium is one metal that offers the benefits of a circular economy to the industry.
• It can be recycled multiple times without losing any mechanical, physical, or chemical properties.
• As per the World Economic Forum, 75 per cent of the aluminium ever produced is still in use.
• At the same time, according to the latest IAI (International Aluminium Institute) figures, the sector, including primary, secondary, and downstream aluminium producers, contributes roughly 1.1 Gt CO2e or 2 per cent of global emissions.
• Recycling aluminium takes 5 per cent of the electricity required to produce the same quantity of virgin aluminium. Thus, aluminum-in-use should be an integral part of a plan to achieve the planet’s green goals and development ambitions.
• If put through an organised circular economy, it would help reduce CO2 emissions worldwide by up to millions of tonnes a year by 2050.
• Aluminium’s low energy use and emission levels have helped it transform the world.
• Downstream aluminium has efficiently enabled developments in transport: air, road, rail, and sea; food, beverage, and pharmaceutical packaging; construction; electronics; and electricity transmission.
• It has been made possible due to aluminium’s solid yet lightweight properties, something other metals lack. This is why aluminium is also called the green metal making the EV possible.
• Compared to other metals, aluminium alloys boast a high strength-to-weight ratio, provide superior thermal and electric conductivity, and are corrosion resistant.
• Aluminium’s malleability, elasticity, and surface reflectivity help manufacture a wide range of high-quality and sustainable products.
• A NITI Aayog report, backing the need for an aluminium policy, notes that even at low consumption levels, aluminium contributed to 2 per cent of Indian manufacturing GDP.

To know more about Circular Economy, please refer August 2021 DPN.