Extensive UNEP analysis: metal recycling rates too low

Germany – Smarter product designs, support for developing country waste management schemes, and encouraging developed country households not to ‘squirrel away’ old electronic goods in drawers and closets could help boost recycling of metals world-wide.
According to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), recycling rates of metals are in many cases far lower than their potential for re-use.

The complete report can be downloaded here

Less than one-third of some 60 metals studied have an end-of-life recycling rate above 50 per cent and 34 elements are below 1% recycling, yet many of them are crucial to clean technologies such as batteries for hybrid cars to the magnets in wind turbines, says the study.
“In spite of significant efforts in a number of countries and regions, many metal recycling rates are discouragingly low, and a ‘recycling society’ appears no more than a distant hope,” states the Recycling Rates of Metals: A Status Report, compiled by UNEP’s International Resource Panel.
The weak performance is especially frustrating because, unlike some other resources, metals are “inherently recyclable,” says the study, released at the London Metal Exchange in the United Kingdom, and in Brussels at ‘Green Week’ by Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP’s Executive Director.

In theory, metals can be used over and over again, minimizing the need to mine and process virgin materials and thus saving substantial amounts of energy and water while minimizing environmental degradation. Raising levels of recycling world-wide can therefore contribute to a transition to a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy while assisting to generate ‘green jobs’,’ said Mr. Steiner.
Indeed, by some estimates recycling metals is between two and 10 times more energy efficient than smelting the metals from virgin ores. Meanwhile extraction alone currently accounts for seven per cent of the world’s energy consumption, with emissions contributing significantly to climate change.

A separate report by the Panel, also released in Brussels, looks at ‘decoupling’ economic growth rates from rates of resource use and notes that extraction of ores and minerals grew 27 fold during the 20th century—a rate higher than world economic growth.
It cites evidence that the era of cheap and easily accessible ores is running out. For example, about three times more material needs to be moved for the same ore extraction than a century ago, with corresponding increases in land disruption, water impacts and energy use.
Says John Atherton, Director, International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) speaking at the launch of the Recycling Rates of Metals report: ‘We hope this report encourages policy makers and product designers to adopt life cycle thinking when planning for materials recycling.’

The landmark report is the first attempt to gather accurate and consistent information about the extent to which metals are collected, processed and reused in new products, says Thomas Graedel, a professor of industrial ecology at Yale University and one of the report’s eight authors.
‘Previously published recycling rates were defined in different ways,’ he says.  ‘The data were highly variable and we couldn’t be sure how to draw comparisons between published numbers. The work will help assess recycling rates in future and ways to improve our success moving forward.’

Metal recycling rates:

 -1%