Sourced recycled aluminium

Promoting circularity

Gränges’ procurement teams continuously coordinate with the production units to optimize sourcing and use of recycled aluminium as this has a positive effect on both costs and the environment. Metal costs are the largest cost category for Gränges. Recycled aluminium has a high economic value and non-reusable recycled aluminium is often sold externally for a discounted price.

Recycled aluminium saves up to 95 per cent of the energy needed to produce primary aluminium and thereby leads to a significantly lower climate impact. Gränges sources pre-consumer used materials from customers and recycling companies, and reuses recycled aluminium from its own operations. The company also buys post-consumer used materials from recycling companies, further promoting a circular business model. The environmental value of recycling increases downstream in the value chain and end-of-life recycling is a clear positive contributor to the circular aluminium usage.

Designing for increased recycling

For Gränges’ operations in Asia and Europe, where a high number of alloys for brazed heat exchanger applications are produced, it can be challenging to find recycled aluminium which fits well in the re-melting process and the specific alloys that are produced. Gränges therefore requires strict sorting of recycled aluminium, both from its own operations as well as from customers and recycling companies.

Gränges’ Research & Innovation (R&I) organization works to design alloys which can use a high share of recycled aluminium and which can be recycled after usage. Material for brazed heat exchangers consists of so called clad materials where different alloys are rolled together, which makes it difficult to separate upon recovery. Brazed heat exchangers are challenging to recycle at end-of-life as the various constituents are difficult to separate and sort.

Total sourced metal inputs, 2019

Customer collaboration

For Gränges’ operations in Americas, where more standardized alloy applications are produced that allow for wider composition limits, it is possible to reach a higher share of sourced recycled aluminium. The operations in Americas recycles all volumes of recycled aluminium from its own operations, and has in 2019 also expanded sourcing of recycled aluminium from its customers. The recycled aluminium is returned from customers to Gränges in conjunction with the product delivery, managed by a third party or by Gränges.

Sourced recycled aluminium

Targets and target fulfilment


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