4 / 20
2
ALUMINUM ASSOCIATION
A
s the world strives to reduce its overall environmental impact by decreasing
the carbon footprint of products of all sizes, aluminum continues to
be part of the solution for a more sustainable future. With the aluminum
industry continuing to innovate through technological advancements and invest-
ments, the Association promotes aluminum as the sustainable material of choice
to key stakeholders through research and reporting. To that end, in 2016, the
Association commissioned various reports and publications that detail the
advantages of aluminum when it comes to sustainability. By producing robust
and transparent information, the Association contributes to sustainable and
innovative market development.
ADVANCING ALUMINUM IN THE MARKET
Study Confirms 90+ Percent Recycling Rate for Auto Aluminum:
To help address customer questions, the Association worked with researchers
at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to complete a peer-reviewed study
examining the end of life recycling rate for automotive aluminum. The study’s
91 percent recycling rate finding supports results from earlier third-party reports
and confirms aluminum as the most sustainable choice for the environment.
Researchers attribute automotive aluminum’s high recycling rate to the metal’s
economic value, citing
the “concerted effort
to recover this valuable
lightweight commodity
from end-of-life
vehicles.” Industry
customers and other
stakeholders have
downloaded
the report more than
200 times since its
release this July.
Second Green Building
Guide Aids Development of
Environmental Declarations:
During Greenbuild 2016, the
Association released
Aluminum
in Green Buildings – A Guide to
Environmental Declarations
, the
second in a series of guidelines
for the building and construc-
tion sector. Environmental
declarations are becoming a key
component of the U.S. Green
Building Council’s Leadership in
Energy & Environmental Design
(LEED) V4. With the new
Guide
,
builders and designers will
gain a better understanding of
aluminum’s value in achieving
LEED requirements.