Abstract
Circularity in the aluminium manufacturing and use industries has attracted increasing attention in recent years. This is partly due to the criticality of the raw material and the drive for a more sustainable, greener society through the EU Green Deal and subsequent legislation/frameworks. Several stakeholders regard post-consumer scrap (PCS) as a panacea for this transition to circularity. Obtaining an appropriate, recycling-friendly post-consumer scrap alloy for a product is challenging, thereby intensifying competition in the PCS alloy market. Furthermore, manufacturers in the aluminium industry must conduct accurate and transparent assessments of their products. Life Cycle Assessment is the primary method used today. While several modelling approaches exist within LCA, the EU recommends using either the product environmental footprint (PEF) (50:50) or the Circular Footprint Formula (CFF) approach. This paper highlights the limitations of these modelling approaches and compares them with the net-scrap approach for LCA of high-voltage aluminium cables. The strength of the net-scrap approach lies in its robustness, particularly in demand-heavy PCS markets. It promotes the use of recycled inputs and end-of-life recyclability and allows for the inclusion of metal quality parameters. These are key levers for achieving high circularity (i.e., over 70%) in open-loop recycling of aluminium alloys.