Eurometaux wishes to re-state the industry’s need for secondary raw materials in Europe and to respond to the press release issued by Eurometrec on 25 March in which it claims that the so called “metals consuming industry” lacks interest in buying metal scrap. Consumption should not be confused with pre-processing and recycling!
The recycling value chain is composed of four main stages, namely collection, dismantling, pretreatment and refining/recycling. Recycling only takes place when the last step is reached. Eurometaux represents this final step, i.e. the industrial refining/recycling operators, a term that should not be confused with “the metals consuming industry”. These operations can only be viable if economies of scale are possible in view of the significant investments and technology needed. The first steps of the value chain – collection and dismantling – whilst a pre-requisite to any recycling, require much less investment as compared to recycling. Only a few players are involved in pre-treatment and refining/recycling, but many more in collection and dismantling.
A complete process The whole value chain is essential to ensure a valuable and sustainable EU recycling industry. The European recycling industry has recently significantly increased its intake of recyclates, and continues to make significant investments to boost its recycling capacity, for example for complex (precious) metals-bearing fractions and batteries and aluminium recovery from bottom ash in waste incineration. And this notwithstanding the fact that the amount of scrap legally exported to non-OECD countries continues to increase. It should be noted that rare earths are not yet recycled.
Clarification needed Eurometaux is very concerned about the biased statements with regard to the metals recycling industry, and will prepare an in-depth analysis of both the European recycling market and industry so as to avoid any further misunderstanding among stakeholders.
Eurometaux is the Brussels-based EU association of the non-ferrous metals industry, representing the main EU and international metals producers, EU and international metal commodity groups and national metal federations. The industry covers base metals (Al, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, Sn), precious metals (Au, Ag, PGM´s) and technical metals (e.g. Co, W, Cr, Mo, Mn), manufactured from both virgin and recycled raw materials.
For further information, please contact:
Eurometaux – European Association of Metals Guy Thiran, Secretary-General Tel. +32 2 775 63 10 E-mail: [email protected] Annick Carpentier Tel. +32 2 775 63 14 E-mail: [email protected] www.eurometaux.eu
