As well as aluminium recycling saving 95% of the energy needed for primary aluminium production, the recycling process saves a similar percentage in greenhouse gas emissions

See fact 2 – Aluminium recycling saves 95% of the energy needed for primary aluminium production

In 2022, the carbon footprint of global primary aluminium production (from mine to cast house) was 15.1 tonnes of CO2e per tonne. In contrast, the carbon emissions for producing recycled aluminium (gate-to-gate) were 0.52 tonnes of CO2e per tonne.

As well as saving 95% of the energy needed for primary aluminium production, recycling production also saves the direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with primary production.

The comparison covers cradle-to-gate emissions for primary aluminium and gate-to-gate emissions for recycled aluminium, i.e. the emissions from processing aluminium scrap, not any emissions embodied in the scrap.

Estimated emissions savings are: 92.4% for Europe; 93.8% for North America; 90.4% for Canada; 97.4% for China; 95.4% for Gulf Cooperation Council and 96.6% globally; based on latest published cradle-to-gate emissions for primary aluminium versus gate-to-gate emissions for recycling.

The emissions for recycling should not be considered as the carbon footprint of recycled aluminium, which can differ largely depending on the LCA method.

Data and modelling

IAI publishes the carbon footprint for primary aluminium annually, generating updates with the support of LCA Gabi-Software. This number is higher than the two numbers by European Aluminium (6.7 tonnes CO2e/tonne for primary aluminium production in Europe and 8.6 tonnes CO2e/tonne for primary aluminium used in 2015) and the US Aluminum Association (8.45 tonnes CO2e/tonne for primary aluminium production in North America and 8.51 tonnes CO2e/tonne for primary aluminium in 2015).

This reflects a higher carbon emissions intensity for primary aluminium production outside Europe and North America. There is currently no global carbon emissions number for recycled aluminium. The three datasets available are:

1. Japan (0.3 tonnes CO2e/tonne, 2015) 2.
2. Europe (0.51 tonnes CO2e/tonne, 2015 and 0.44 tonnes CO2e/tonne, 2018).
3. North America (0.53 tonnes CO2e/tonne, 2015).

Japan is purely for wrought alloys and was therefore excluded from the used average.

Data sources, links and publications:

• Reference Document on Carbon Footprint Calculations of Aluminium Scrap, January 2023
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity- Primary Aluminium
• Environmental Profile Report, Life-Cycle inventory data for aluminium production and transformation processes in Europe, February 2018
• Environmental Profile Report, Life Cycle Inventory data (2017-2019) for the production of cast alloys ingot from scrap and waste, November 2021.
• The Environmental Footprint of Semis-Fabricated Aluminium Products in North America, A Life Cycle Assessment Report, January 2022
• Inventory analysis report of scrap melting for wrought material, March 2023.

Last updated: August 2024