The raw materials sourced by ElvalHalcor are copper and aluminum that come from either primary production (primary casting) or scrap. Primary casting is sourced from mining while scrap: a) through our customer network, during or after processing the metal we deliver and b) from scrap dealers who source post-consumer metals/products after end-of-life of products (end-of-life scrap).
ElvalHalcor, knowing the multiple benefits of recycling (environmental protection, direct savings, etc.), covers a significant part of its needs in raw materials from scrap, correspondingly reducing quantities of primary raw materials. By scrap we define all metals that have no use for the consumer and come from all industries such as car parts, building equipment, packaging materials and other materials.
Pursuing a path of sustainable development, ElvalHalcor places great emphasis on the recycling of aluminium, copper and copper alloys.
Aluminum and copper are two viable metals. They are 100% recyclable and can be used again and again, without losing their properties, without degrading their metallurgical identity properties. So they are two sustainable metals, vital for building the circular economy.
Use of aluminum scrap:
- By using aluminum scrap, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 92% compared to virgin aluminum.
- Aluminum recycling saves 95% of the energy required for primary production.
- One ton of recycled aluminum saves up to 4 tons of bauxite, 14,000 kWh of energy and 7.6 cubic meters of land.
Use of scrap copper:
- By using scrap copper, a 65% reduction in CO2 emissions is achieved
- Recycling copper requires up to 85% less energy than primary production.
In the aluminum rolling sector, ElvalHalcor is the largest aluminum recycling company in Greece. The Company, with the aim of continuously improving its environmental performance, has installed and operates two descaling - melting furnaces in which a series of the Best Available Techniques related to energy recovery and the reduction of pollutant emissions are applied. This technology ensures that aluminum is recycled in an environmentally friendly process, using less energy, reducing waste and reducing emissions into the atmosphere while increasing the possibility of using recycled aluminum as a raw material, helping to combat climate change. Aluminum recycling is a particularly important practice, as it contributes to a large extent to saving natural resources and energy. By recycling aluminum cans, a very large energy saving of 95% is achieved, in relation to the energy required to produce a can from virgin aluminium. At the same time, Elval operates an Aluminum Can Recycling Center (CANAL) in Maroussi, which accepts, separates and processes used aluminum cans. These boxes are then forwarded to the Elval factory in Oinofyta, where they are recycled and used for the production of new products. KANAL has the capacity to process 2,800 tons of used boxes annually and has been in operation for over twelve years. In the same facilities, KANAL informs about the importance of aluminum recycling and at the same time implements programs specially designed for schools and other social groups, with the aim of promoting responsible environmental behavior in everyday life.
ElvalHalcor promotes and implements in practice the principles of the circular economy, constantly increasing the use of scrap aluminum and copper that comes especially from the collection of products from the end of their life cycle to rejoin the production cycle. For 2021, the percentage of metal consumed by the aluminum rolling sector in the production process from scrap recycling amounted to 27.2% with the largest percentage of this (15.5%) being scrap from end-of-life materials ( EoL). 59.6% of the metals consumed in the production process of ElvalHalcor's copper and alloy extrusion sector came from recycled metals.
In recent years, ElvalHalcor has significantly increased the use of scrap copper by recycling more quantities of scrap copper and aluminum every year and is considered the largest recycler of copper and copper alloys in Greece. In particular, ElvalHalcor's copper and alloy extrusion division implements an extensive program of using recycled copper as raw material. In the recycling - casting factory, it receives, quality checks and processes through sorting the materials to be recycled. From these materials, the percentage of materials that it does not use (eg iron, wood, soil) separates them and forwards them to selected properly licensed companies for recycling or final disposal. The Company strategically promotes the ever-increasing integration of scrap as a raw material for the production of its products.
In this way, a significant contribution to the promotion of circular economy conditions is achieved, with an emphasis on the preservation and protection of natural resources and energy. Copper recycling helps save 85% of the energy required in primary copper production and reduce greenhouse gases by more than 65%.
