BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 17. Circular materials,
such as recycled aluminum, both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
shape a more sustainable economic model for the housing sector, the
Director of the Climate Regulation and International Certification
Department at RUSAL, Alexey Spirin, said during the Business
Assembly session, held within the framework of WUF13 in Baku,
Trend reports.


According to him, the environmental savings achieved are
substantial.


"During primary aluminum production, 12–14 tons of carbon
equivalent emissions are generated per ton of product, requiring
12–16 megawatt-hours of electricity. In contrast, emissions in the
production of recycled—meaning secondary—aluminum amount to just
0.5 tons, and it consumes only 5% of the energy compared to primary
production," Spirin noted.


"In Europe, 75 to 95% of the aluminum used in the construction
sector already consists of recycled materials. The carbon footprint
of these products is less than 2.5 tons of CO2 per ton, which is
five times lower than the global average for primary aluminum
production."


The director emphasized that using aluminum also creates
significant advantages for households.


"Modern aluminum windows reduce heat loss by 40–50%, ultimately
allowing a typical European apartment to save 200–400 euros on
annual heating costs," he said. "In addition, aluminum facade
systems can be used for 50–80 years with minimal maintenance,
whereas plastic facades typically require repairs every 10–15
years. High-quality energy efficiency renovation projects usually
yield a financial return within 7–12 years."







Alexey Spirin added that the circular economy approach also
reduces price volatility.


"Recently, the price of primary aluminum has fluctuated between
1,400 and 3,000 dollars per ton. In the recycled aluminum market,
volatility is roughly twice as low, which establishes more stable
costs for cities and the construction sector," the director
explained.


"The recycling of construction waste is also vital because
transporting and disposing of waste at landfills creates additional
costs. Recycling helps reduce these fees and charges. For instance,
in Amsterdam and Copenhagen, using recycled aluminum allows saving
30–50 euros per ton in landfill costs."


He noted that a design approach allowing for dismantling and
reuse preserves 60–70% of the residual value of materials.


"This is particularly important for aluminum because one of the
main challenges during recycling is contamination caused by
aluminum mixing with steel, copper, and other metals," Spirin
concluded. "Re-manufacturing aluminum into the correct alloy form
after use becomes difficult because secondary aluminum, when
contaminated with various materials, turns the acquisition of a
high-quality product into a more complex process."