Potential global GHG emissions reduction from increased adoption of metals recycling

Materials production is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and as consumption of commodities and resources continues to increase, so does the environmental footprint of extraction per unit of material. Primary production of metals has been progressing with steadily declining ore grades, resulting in higher energy requirements for extraction and processing of larger ore volumes bearing lower metal concentrations. Secondary production from recycled material stocks requires less energy than primary production and thereby has a lower GHG footprint. An LCA-based assessment of potential future adoption scenarios (Plausible, Ambitious, Maximum) of secondary production in the total global market for major commodity metals was conducted to identify the GHG emissions reductions possible from increased metal recycling and secondary production. The Plausible and Ambitious future scenarios result in 4.5 to 12 Gt of GHG emissions reduction globally from 2014 to 2050, and a Maximum future scenario results in over 42 Gt of GHG emissions reductions for the same period. The results of the analyses of the Plausible and Ambitious scenarios, though not close to maximizing use of total scrap available, clearly indicate that even small increments of improved metal recovery for secondary production have significant potential for GHG emission reductions. Analysis of material feedstock costs was also performed to assess the cost to producers of switching from virgin feedstocks to recycled materials.