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Copper recycling at an Aurubis AG storage area

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Christian Charisius / picture alliance / dpa

Germany's dependence on raw material imports could be significantly reduced through more recycling. This is the result of a study by the Ifeu Institute on behalf of the non-governmental organization Powershift, which is available to SPIEGEL. The focus of the investigation is on the metals copper, aluminum, iron and steel as well as nickel. These base metals account for 94 percent of the “total metallic raw material consumption” in Germany, according to the authors. Copper, aluminum and nickel are also classified by the EU Commission as “critical” and “strategic” – therefore particularly important for the local economy.

Up to now, raw material recycling has been considered too complex and too expensive in many cases. According to the authors, supply interruptions from countries rich in raw materials are to be expected again and again in the future due to pandemics or natural disasters as a result of climate change.

In addition, climate change requires that “peak mining” be achieved by 2030, i.e. the climax of the greenhouse gas-intensive extraction of primary raw materials. The global climate goals cannot be achieved otherwise. The reuse of raw materials is becoming increasingly important. According to the study, Germany's potential is enormous, but can only be used if the recycling sector is expanded.

The recycled content of iron, for example, could be more than doubled by 2050. While in 2010 around a third of the iron used in this country was obtained from so-called "secondary raw materials", in a few years this could be 75 percent. For aluminum, the rate could be increased from 54 percent in 2010 to 67 percent in 2050, and for copper from 56 to 59 percent.

According to the authors, it will never be possible to fully cover the demand with recycled materials - simply because the demand for base metals is likely to increase due to the expansion of renewable energies, the change in transport and new methods in construction.

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