Nonferrous metals play a core role in resource recycling and ecological protection systems - they are not only non renewable strategic resources, but also key carriers for promoting the implementation of circular economy and reducing ecological load. Their recycling and reuse are directly related to resource security, carbon emission control, and ecological pollution control. Specific roles can be explored from the following dimensions:

1、 Cracking the problem of resource depletion and building a closed-loop resource cycle

Reducing dependence on primary minerals and extending the life cycle of resources. Non ferrous metals (copper, aluminum, lithium, cobalt, etc.) are mostly formed over billions of years due to geological processes, and primary mineral reserves are limited and unevenly distributed (such as 70% of global lithium mines concentrated in South America, and copper ore grades continuing to decline). Through recycling and regeneration, resources can be transformed from a linear model of "mining use waste" to a closed-loop model of "resources products renewable resources":

Every 1 ton of scrap copper recovered can save 1.3 tons of primary copper ore and reduce 90% of mining output of minerals;

The raw material for recycled aluminum only requires waste aluminum, not bauxite, and bauxite mining can damage surface vegetation (4-5 tons of bauxite are consumed for every 1 ton of primary aluminum produced);

The recycling of new energy metals (lithium, cobalt, nickel) has become an important channel for supplementing resources. By 2025, the global proportion of recycled lithium will reach 15%, and it is expected to increase to 30% by 2030, easing dependence on overseas lithium mines.

Improve resource utilization efficiency and reduce mining losses. The resource losses of primary ore mining and smelting are extremely high: the recovery rate of copper ore beneficiation is about 85%, the recovery rate of smelting is about 95%, and the overall loss exceeds 20%; The smelting recovery rate of regenerated non-ferrous metals can reach over 98% (such as almost no loss in waste copper regeneration). Taking aluminum as an example, the resource utilization rate of recycled aluminum is more than 30% higher than that of primary aluminum, and it can be recycled infinitely, truly achieving "sustainable resource utilization".

2、 Reduce the ecological environment load and safeguard the stability of the ecosystem

1. Reduce the ecological damage caused by native mining

The mining of primary non-ferrous metal mines (especially open-pit mines) can cause a series of ecological problems:

Land destruction: For every 10000 tons of copper ore mined, 100000 tons of topsoil need to be stripped, resulting in surface subsidence and loss of vegetation (such as rocky desertification in some copper mining areas in southwestern China);

Water resource pollution: Cyanides and heavy metal pesticides used in mineral processing can seep into groundwater, polluting river soil (such as lead and zinc mining areas where the lead content in the surrounding soil exceeds the standard by tens of times);

Biodiversity loss: The destruction of mining ecosystems leads to the disappearance of habitats for animals and plants (such as the threat of endangered species survival from bauxite mining in the Amazon rainforest).

Regenerated non-ferrous metals do not require mining and can directly reduce the ecological damage mentioned above - the global recycled aluminum industry alone can reduce about 200 million cubic meters of topsoil stripping annually, protecting over 100000 hectares of vegetation.

2. Significantly reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption

Primary smelting of non-ferrous metals is a high energy consumption and high emission process, while regenerative smelting can achieve significant "carbon reduction and energy conservation":

Energy consumption of metal type recycling smelting vs primary smelting energy consumption. Carbon reduction per ton of recycled metal (ton of CO ₂)

Aluminum is only about 5% of its original content, approximately 8-9%

Copper is only about 20% of the original, accounting for approximately 1.5-2%

Lead is only about 10% of its original content, ranging from 0.5 to 0.8

The energy consumption of lithium wet regeneration is about 30% of the original, about 3-4%

By 2025, the global recycled non-ferrous metal industry will reduce carbon emissions by over 1 billion tons, equivalent to the closure of 250 million kilowatts of coal-fired power plants (approximately 15% of China's installed thermal power capacity), which is an important lever for achieving the "dual carbon" goal.         

3. Reduce waste pollution and resolve the crisis of "electronic waste"

Nonferrous metals are widely present in waste household appliances, batteries, and electronic products (1 ton of waste mobile phone contains about 300 grams of copper, 10 grams of gold, and 20 grams of silver). If directly discarded:

Heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium) can seep into soil and water sources, posing a threat to human health (such as excessive blood lead in children);

Valuable resources are wasted, creating a contradiction between resource scarcity and waste surplus.

Through recycling and regeneration, not only can non-ferrous metals be extracted, but harmful impurities can also be treated harmlessly: by 2024, China will recycle and process over 1 million tons of waste lithium batteries, reducing the waste pollution of about 50000 tons of lithium, cobalt and other metals, while avoiding fluoride pollution in the electrolyte.

3、 Supporting the development of green industries and promoting the synergy between ecological protection and economy

Empowering the new energy industry and accelerating green transformation. Green industries such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, and wind power are highly dependent on non-ferrous metals

Each pure electric vehicle requires approximately 80 kilograms of copper, 15 kilograms of aluminum, as well as battery metals such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium;

Photovoltaic power plants require about 4 tons of copper per megawatt, and wind power towers require a large amount of aluminum alloy.

Regenerated non-ferrous metals provide low-cost, low environmental load raw materials for these industries: by 2025, the proportion of recycled copper and aluminum used in China's new energy vehicles will reach 40% and 60%, respectively. This not only reduces the resource costs of the industry, but also reduces the carbon emissions of the industry chain (recycled raw materials contribute about 20% to the carbon emissions reduction of new energy vehicles throughout their lifecycle).

Promoting regional ecological restoration and industrial upgrading, the non-ferrous metal recycling industry can drive the transformation of resource depleted cities. For example, Yingtan (Copper Industry Base) in Jiangxi Province, China, has shifted from "relying on copper mining" to "the capital of circular economy" by developing waste copper recycling, which has not only restored the ecology of mining areas (treating over 2000 hectares of collapsed areas), but also formed a billion dollar circular industry cluster; The Ruhr area of Germany has transformed abandoned mining areas into ecological industrial parks through the regeneration of non-ferrous metal industries, achieving a win-win situation of "ecological restoration+economic development".

4、 Assist in global ecological governance and promote the implementation of sustainable development goals

The recycling of non-ferrous metals is a core component of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include responsible consumption and production, climate action, and terrestrial ecological protection

An international collaborative system for the recycling of non-ferrous metals has been established globally (such as the EU's "Battery Regulation" which requires the proportion of recycled cobalt and lithium in batteries to reach 16% -20%), promoting cross-border resource recycling;

Developing countries can reduce their dependence on developed countries' primary resources and lower their own ecological pressure through the non-ferrous metal recycling industry (such as India reducing its annual bauxite imports by about 10 million tons through the recycled aluminum industry).

summary

The recycling of non-ferrous metals is essentially an ecological protection practice of "replacing primary with regeneration, linear with closed-loop, and high with low-carbon". It not only solves the problem of scarce resources, but also reduces the ecological damage of the entire chain of mining, smelting, and waste from the source. At the same time, it supports the development of green industries and achieves the triple goal of "resource security - ecological protection - economic development". In the future, with technological upgrades, non-ferrous metals will become the core pillar of global ecological governance and circular economy.