Study into ‘permanent materials’
According to a study conducted by Swiss consultancy firm Carbotech AG in collaboration with the University of Applied Science Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), aluminium and steel fulfil the criteria for ‘permanent materials’.
The study claims that the current approach of classifying materials as renewable or non-renewable is insufficient for the development of good practices in sustainable resource management.
The study defined permanent materials as those whose inherent properties do not change during use and regardless of repeated recycling into new products. Their recycling does not necessarily require the addition of primary material or additives to enable the basic material function / properties. Materials that retain their properties can be endlessly recycled.
“Aluminium and steel can be considered permanent materials as their inherent properties do not change during use and recycling phase. We can say that aluminium and steel in rigid packaging are true enablers of the circular economy,” says Dr. Fredy Dinkel, project leader at Carbotech.
“The permanent materials concept perfectly matches society’s vision for a circular economy. Stimulating the recycling of permanent materials will make our economy more sustainable and less dependent on primary metal imports from third countries”, says Peter Lockley, chairman of MPE.
