Aurubis commits to more copper recycling capacity

Hamburg, Germany-based Aurubis AG used the London Metal Exchange (LME) Week event in that city to unveil its new “Tomorrow Metals by Aurubis” program, which it says emphasizes its strong focus on sustainability.

The company predominantly produces copper as well as metals such as tin at the former Metallo smelter in Belgium. Aurubis already consumes a significant amount of red metal scrap, with existing capacity in Europe and the United States.

The metals firm states, “Today, Aurubis’ copper cathodes contain more than 40 percent recycling material already. To further promote the circular economy of metals, the group will build on its plans to continue expanding its recycling capacities in the future as well--currently, these capacities amount to about 1 million tons per year.”

Roland Harings, CEO of Aurubis AG, comments, “In this way, we show our customers that acting responsibly is a mindset at Aurubis and that we set the highest standards in energy efficiency and environmental protection in all of our activities. ‘Tomorrow Metals by Aurubis’ represents the assurance that we, as the most sustainable smelter network in the world, are committed to constantly delivering more value with less environmental footprint.”

Michael Hellemann Soerensen, head of commercial activity at Aurubis, adds, “Our commitment encompasses our many efforts to act and do business sustainably, efforts we have already made in the past and will continue to push forward in the future as well. Those who buy from Aurubis today and in the future can be assured that our metals are at the forefront when it comes to their environmental footprint.”

Aurubis says the Tomorrow Metals by Aurubis program is “backed by reliable key performance indicators that are regularly reported and continuously improved with effective measures.”

The firm says it invested more than 670 million euros ($775 million) in environmental protection measures since 2000, reducing its dust emissions by 96 percent and its metal emissions to water by 88 percent at its copper production facilities. “Aurubis already produces copper with less than half the carbon dioxide (CO₂) per ton than its international competitors,” states the firm.

While Fastmarkets AMM reports that  Aurubis plans to set up a new copper scrap processing facility in North America to access raw materials generated on this continent, citing a conversation with Harings, a spokesperson for Aurubis tells Recycling Today, "At this point, we cannot confirm any specific plans, but we are always screening promising possibilities for new capacities, be it in Europe or worldwide."