Alumetal Completes Environmental Product Declaration for Recycled Aluminum Products
Poland-based aluminum producer Alumetal has finalized an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) that documents the environmental impact of its recycled foundry alloy aluminum products. The EPD, based on an independent third-party assessment, offers detailed transparency regarding the mix of scrap qualities used in production at Alumetal's plants.
Alumetal, acquired by Norway's Norsk Hydro ASA last year, emphasizes that this declaration underscores the company's commitment to sustainability and provides customers with clear information on the environmental effects of their supply chains. Hanne Simensen, executive vice president at Hydro Aluminium Metal, noted that the EPD demonstrates Hydro's and Alumetal's dedication to sustainability and transparency.
Both Hydro and Alumetal assert that increasing the use of postconsumer scrap is essential for reducing emissions, particularly as consumer awareness and regulatory requirements grow. Agnieszka Drzyżdżyk, CEO of Alumetal, added that the EPD gives customers precise data on the environmental footprint of Alumetal's products, supporting their own sustainability goals.
The aluminum producers also differentiate between preconsumer and postconsumer scrap. Postconsumer scrap, they highlight, has a near-zero carbon footprint since its associated emissions have already been accounted for in earlier use phases. Alumetal’s four recycling plants—three in Poland and one in Hungary—have a combined capacity of 280,000 metric tons annually, primarily serving the automotive sector. The plants use up to 94% recycled materials, including over 50% postconsumer scrap, in their production processes.
The average carbon footprint of Alumetal's recycled foundry alloy aluminum is 2.44 kilograms of CO2-equivalent per kilogram of aluminum, which is significantly lower than the global average for primary aluminum production. Hydro points out that this is less than one-sixth of the global average emissions for primary aluminum, with most emissions originating from upstream material production.
Hydro also highlights the distinctive use of the byproduct allocation method in Alumetal's EPD, which accurately distinguishes between pre- and postconsumer scrap. This method helps clearly showcase the environmental benefits of using postconsumer scrap and positions Alumetal as a leader in recycling challenging aluminum scrap types, preventing them from ending up in landfills.
According to Simensen, Alumetal plays a crucial role in Hydro's efforts to source more postconsumer scrap and develop advanced sorting technologies that enable increased recycling of used aluminum. With the EPD, Alumetal's customers gain detailed insight into the environmental impact of the materials they are using, helping them avoid greenwashing and make informed decisions.
