For most aluminium products, the metal is not actually consumed during the product’s lifetime, but simply used, with the potential to be recycled without any loss of its inherent properties. Therefore, the life cycle of an aluminium product is not the traditional “cradle-to-grave” sequence, but rather a renewable “cradle-to-cradle”.

This property of infinite recyclability has led to a situation where today around 75% of the almost one billion tonnes of aluminium ever produced is still in productive use, some having been through countless loops of its lifecycle.

Through the use of only 5% of the original energy input, this metal can be made available not just once but repeatedly from these material resources for future generations. The growing global markets for aluminium products are supplied by both primary (around 65%) and recycled (around 35%) metal sources. The increasing demand for aluminium and the long lifetime of many products, limiting their availability for short term recovery but maximising their in-use benefits, mean that the overall mass of primary metal consumed will continue to be around double that of recycled metal, for the foreseeable future.

However, improving the overall collection rates of used products is an essential element in the pursuit of sustainable development. Industry continues to recycle, without subsidy, all the aluminium collected from end-of-life products as well as from fabrication and manufacturing process scrap. With a growing number of industry initiatives and the help of appropriate authorities, local communities and society as a whole, the amount of aluminium collected could be increased further.