What Do We Know About Metal Recycling Rates?

摘要: Summary The recycling of metals is widely viewed as a fruitful sustainability strategy, but little information available on the degree to which actually taking place. This article provides an overview current knowledge rates for 60 metals. We propose various metrics, discuss relevant aspects processes, and present estimates global end-of-life (EOL-RR; i.e., percentage metal in discards that recycled), recycled content (RC), old scrap ratios (OSRs; share total flow). Because increases use over time long in-use lifetimes, many RC values are low will remain so foreseeable future. relatively efficiencies collection processing most discarded products, inherent limitations fact primary material often abundant low-cost (which thereby keeps down price scrap), EOL-RRs very low: Only 18 (silver, aluminum, gold, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, niobium, nickel, lead, palladium, platinum, rhenium, rhodium, tin, titanium, zinc) EOL-RR above 50% at present. ruthenium 50%, although 16 25% range. Thirteen have OSR greater than 50%. These may be used considerations whether can improved; metric could best encourage improved effectiveness recycling; understanding dependence economics, technology, other factors.