This website has been designed for architects from around the world, to highlight the advantages of specifying aluminium in architectural design. The user will find credible and accurate data, which underpin and support the aluminium industry’s sustainability and the sustainability of its products, including building applications. In the context of increasing importance of green building schemes around the world it is important that aluminium is specified on the basis of its sustainable life cycle credentials:

Recycling

“Between 92% and 98% of architectural aluminium were found to be collected and recycled in Europe.”
(Professor Udo Boin em., Delft University of Technology)

Cradle to Cradle Life Cycle

“Today, approximately 75% of all the aluminium ever produced is still in productive use, having been through countless loops of its lifecycle.”
(Ken Martchek, IAI Energy and Environment Committee Chairman)

Urban Mining

“Globally, it is estimated that buildings and their contents contain some 400 million tonnes of aluminium, which can be extracted and reused by future generations time after time, requiring only about 5% of the energy originally used to extract and process aluminium from more traditional geologic sources.”

(Professor Thomas E. Graedel, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Science)

Environmental Decrations

“Environmental Product Declarations tools are the most comprehensive and transparent type of environmental information. To ensure quality control both the aluminium industry tool and the life cycle data has been externally verified.“
(Dr. Eva Schminke, Five Winds Consultancy)

Global Improvements

The aluminium industry has taken a leadership role by establishing a uniform global monitoring approach to energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals:

• Following an 86% reduction in its perfluorocarbon (PFC) emissions per tonne of primary aluminium produced between 1990 and 2006, a 50% reduction in PFC emissions by 2020 compared to 2006.
• Following an 8% reduction in global smelter electrical energy usage per tonne of aluminium produced between 1990 and 2006, a further 5% reduction by 2020 compared to 2006.
• A 10% reduction in refinery energy usage by the industry as a whole by 2020 versus 2006.

Responsible Mining

“Recent information is now showing that the average annual rehabilitation area of existing bauxite mining areas is equal to the average annual area being opened up. In this steady state environment, bauxite mining is “land area footprint neutral” and sustainable.”
(Dave Olney and Steve Healy, IAI Bauxite and Alumina Committee Chairmen)

This website was created by International Aluminium Institute in cooperation with national and regional aluminium associations around the world. The IAI members are collectively responsible for up to 80% of global primary aluminium production and around 20% of recycled metal production.

For further information on regional and national green architecture activities go to contacts page.

Special thanks to Christian Leroy of the European Aluminium Association and Professor Michael Stacey of Michael Stacey Architects.