Copper Recycling 1. THE IMPORTANCE OF RECYCLING During the past decade, strong growth in emerging economies, coupled with an increased use of copper for innovative technologies, has led to significantly higher demand. The recovery and recycling of copper is not only important in helping to satisfy this demand, it also conserves natural resources for a sustainable future, and improves the sustainability performance of end-use products. 2. COPPER IS 100% RECYCLABLE Copper is one of the few materials that can be recycled and re-used, again and again, without any loss in performance. There is also no difference in the quality of recycled copper, often referred to as secondary, from that coming from mining, referred to as primary production. 3. RECYCLING SAVES ENERGY AND CO2 Recycling copper is a highly eco-efficient way of reintroducing a valuable material back into the economy. The recycling of copper requires up to 85% less energy than primary production. Around the world, this saves 100 million MWh of electrical energy and 40 million tonnes of CO2 annually. 4. COPPER IN USE Infrastructure, 15% Based on the global copper stocks and flows model, recently developed by the Fraunhofer Institute, it is estimated that two-thirds of the 550 million tonnes of copper produced, since 1900, are still in productive use (Glöser, 2013). Of this amount: Industry, 10% • Approximately 70% is used for electrical applications and 30% for non-electrical applications. • Around 55% is used in buildings, 15% in infrastructure, 10% in industry, 10% in transport and 10% in equipment manufacture. This enormous stock of copper, contained in its diverse range of end-uses, and equivalent to around 30 years of current refined demand, is often referred to as society’s “urban mine”. Transport, 10% Building Construction, 55% Equipment Manufacture, 10% Figure 1: Copper in use (Glöser, 2013) 5. RECYCLING PROCESSES Currently, a total of around 9 million tonnes of copper per year come from the recycling of “old” scrap (copper contained in end-of-life products) and “new” scrap (generated during production and downstream manufacturing processes). The figure below shows how recycling is a core part of the overall copper value chain. Copper recycling includes material collected from end-of-life products such as cables and wires, electric hardware, as well as the remelting of factory waste. copper, the recycling champion consumer scrap Approx. 24 million tonnes of copper were used globally in 2010, 35% of which were sourced through recycling. scrap dealers 5 million tonnes mining production & recycling 16 million tonnes semi-fabricated products: pipes, sections, sheets, wires Some semi-fabricated copper products are manufactured entirely from recycling. 4 million tonnes car house 50 kilos 100 kilos products computer windmill 1.5 kilos 5,000 kilos Copper is 100% Recyclable: unlike most other materials, it can be perpetually recycled without loss of performance or qualities. Recycled copper is identical to that which comes out of the mine. All copper, from diverse uses and objects, can be recycled. factory scrap Source: Glöser, 2013 Take-back schemes, and collection Figure 2: Simplified value chain for copper While a few copper applications result in unrecoverable losses, such as dissipative losses due to abrasion (e.g. automotive brake pads) and copper chemicals used as animal food supplements and fungicides, most other applications are part of well-established recovery and take-back schemes. 6. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Two of the most relevant indicators of the recycling performance of copper are the Recycling Input Rate, which tracks the percentage of annual copper use which is sourced through recycling, and the End-of-Life Recycling Rate which represents the amount actually recycled as a percentage of what is theoretically available in a given year. Both indicators have remained fairly stable since the 1950s, despite the steady increase in annual copper demand (from 2.5 million tonnes in 1950 to 19 million tonnes nowadays) and the increasing complexity of the many end-use products that contain copper, e.g. cell phones and laptops, which are more difficult to collect and reprocess. 60% 40% 20% 0% 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s End-of-Life Recycling Rate 1990s 2000s 2010 Recycling Input Rate 2011 Figure 3: Copper recycling rates since 1950 (Glöser, 2013) 7. COPPER FLOW MODEL A comprehensive study of the stocks, flows and recycling rates for copper has been developed by the Fraunhofer Institute. This complex, three-year study has resulted in a much improved understanding of how copper is used and re-used by society. Smelting and refining / SXEW Global mining Total refined copper 16,100 kt (a) 19,000 kt 3,250 kt Low grade copper scrap for smelting and refining 200 kt Semi-finished goods production 350 kt (b) 24,300 kt Permanent losses during smelting (including around 100 kilo tonnes of losses during scrap smelting and refining) 150 kt (b) 5,450 kt Directly melted high grade copper scrap Short term scrap stocks 4,000 (j), (k) Scrap from fabrication 2,100 kt (h) Losses during separation 4,900 kt (i) Collected and separated EoL Scrap 7,000 kt (g) Permanent losses during semis production Fabrication of end-use products at this location. 200 kt (b) Permanent losses during fabrication 450 kt (d) Dissipation/ 3,850 kt (f) Losses during Abandoned in place scrap collection 10,850 kt (e) Total copper content in EoL Scrap stocks in use 20,100 kt, (c) Global copper in use: 350,000 kilo tonnes Figure 4: Global copper stocks and flows 2010 (Glöser, 2013) 8. RECYCLING RATES Based on the work of the Fraunhofer Institute, the following global recycling rates for copper can be derived. Recycling Rate End-of-Life (EoL) Recycling Rate End-of-Life (EoL) Collection Rate Definition (Eurometaux, 2012) EoL RR = ei g EoL CR = e Value (%)* 45% 65% End-of-Life (EoL) Processing Rate EoL PR = gi 70% Overall Recycling Efficiency Rate i+k ORER = e + j 60% Recycling Input Rate i+k RIR = a + i + k 35% table 1: Copper recycling rates (Glöser, 2013) * These values are derived from the simplified and rounded flows of Figure 4. They can be slightly different from the real values generated by the full model. 9. SUMMARY Copper is one of the few materials which can be recycled repeatedly without any loss of performance. As well as helping to satisfy the annual demand for copper, recycling conserves valuable natural resources, saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions. However the growing demand for copper will require a combination of primary raw materials, coming from mines, as well as recycled, or secondary, materials. For recycling to be effective, innovation is also needed, whether in up-front component design which facilitates end of life recovery; the societal processes that will increase recovery, or the industrial recycling processes that will increase overall yields. In tandem with primary copper, regulatory policies must continue to encourage recovery and recycling, both at the industry level and by the individual citizen. 10. DISCLAIMER This document, developed to provide information on the recycling of copper, has been prepared from publically available information. Its purpose is to provide readers with information on which they can make independent business decisions. 11. ANNEX: REFERENCES Glöser, Simon; Soulier, Marcel; Tercero Espinoza, Luis A. (2013): A dynamic analysis of global copper flows. Global stocks, postconsumer material flows, recycling indicators & uncertainty evaluation. In Environ. Sci. Technol. (in press) DOI: 10.1021/es400069b. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es400069b Recycling Rates for Metals (Eurometaux and Eurofer, 2012). http://www.eurometaux.org/Publications/BrochuresandLeaflets.aspx International Wrought Copper Council (IWCC, 2013). http://www.coppercouncil.org/genstat.aspx World Copper Factbook (ICSG, 2012). http://www.icsg.org/index.php/publications 260 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 USA Phone: (212) 251-7240, Fax: (212) 251-7245 copperalliance.org, [email protected] © Copyright 2013 International Copper Association, Ltd. | Copper Alliance™ is a trademark of the International Copper Association, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. | 5/20-ICA-BR-GL-HE-03-EN