At Kuusakoski we focus on recycling with the aim of life cycle optimisation

The entire life cycle of products or materials must be taken into account when considering the efficient use of resources, sustainable production and consumption. Recycling, recyclability and product design that takes recycling into account – “eco-design” – are of decisive importance in life cycle analyses. Reuse and recycling are by far the best solutions for achieving eco-efficiency. 

Efficient recycling of materials

We strive to maximise the recycling of end-of-life products and materials. Practical examples of this include producer responsibility agreements, recycling campaigns, and making collection simpler and more efficient. 

We advise our customers to sort waste materials correctly where they are generated. Thanks to our comprehensive service network, we are close to our customers and do not have to transport materials long distances for processing.

Recycling efficiency and material quality 

The green transition and circular economy are based on the efficient recycling of materials at the end of their life cycle. The recycling rate determines the overall life cycle efficiency of the end material and product. This is especially important for metals that can be recycled several times at the end of their service life without any deterioration in quality. 

KUUSAKOSKI IS THE LEADING RECYCLER OF METALS 

Our refining capacity enables the highly efficient recycling of metals from waste streams back into raw materials. 

• Our reject plant and advanced fractionation process enable a metal recovery rate of 94%, which is well above the industry average.
• We continue to make additional investments and perform R&D work with the aim of further increasing the metal recovery rate to 97%.
• We have also developed our non-ferrous (NFR) metal refining process to double the proportion of pure metals and reduce impurities.

As a theoretical example, a recycling rate of 97% leads to twice the potential life cycle efficiency compared to a recycling rate of 94%. Compared to an 80% recycling rate, the benefit is more than 6 times. 

Maximising the life cycle 

By productising recycled materials, we maximise their usability. The more virgin and non-renewable raw materials can be replaced by recycled materials, the greater the benefits of the circular economy. For example, by producing cleaner purer aluminium fractions, we enable a higher utilisation rate of recycled materials for our customers. In this way, we strive to maximise the efficiency of the entire life cycle of materials. 

METALS ARE ENDLESSLY RECYCLABLE – RECYCLING EFFICIENCY IS DECISIVE 

• Metals are elements or alloys and are theoretically recyclable forever.
• The benefits of recycling metals are significant, as producing them from primary raw materials is an a heavyenergy intensive process that puts an enormous strain on the environment.
• Recycling metals by smelting and processing is a much lighter process. For example, steel can be recycled almost emission-free with the help of electricity.
• The quality and purity achieved in the recycling process are essential.

Unlike fibre materials, the properties of metals are not weakened by recycling 

A new life cycle begins for the products and raw materials we recycle

The benefits of recycling are realised when virgin materials are replaced by recycled raw materials in production. This saves natural resources, avoids CO² emissions, improves energy efficiency and makes the supply chain more sustainable. The raw materials we recycled in 2023 enabled our customers to avoid 1.39 million tonnes of CO² emissions.

Our products have a small carbon footprint and a large handprint

Product stewardship is important to Kuusakoski. Not only do we want to promote our own emissions reduction goals, but we also want to ensure the safety and regulatory compliance of the materials and services we supply.

We want to help our customers achieve the greatest possible benefit during the life cycle of their own products.

In 2022, we completed the first collection of life cycle data in accordance with the international Greenhouse Gas Protocol for all our main products: recycled metal raw materials (aluminium, copper, steel, zinc and stainless steel), metal alloys and electronics.

It is important for us to offer reliable carbon footprint information to our customers. These footprints are based on externally verified data and cover the impacts of the entire value chain, direct and indirect emissions, including Scope 1, 2 and 3.

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