15 Mar The recyclability of brass

In the last articles we talked about the surprising characteristics of brass, such as eco-sustainability and its antibacterial properties. Today we want to talk to you about recyclability..

Brass, inheriting a virtuous characteristic of the copper it is made of, is 100% recyclable and, in the case of low-lead brass such as Ecobrass, it does not emit harmful substances to the environment.

The high recycle rate of brass scrap makes negligible its contribution to the constant increase of solid and industrial waste. Only a small part of it is not recovered and is mainly dispersed as chemical compounds necessary for agriculture.

In Europe, almost half of the currently used copper comes from recycling. In fact, according to a 2012 report by the International Copper Study Group, 44.8% of the copper used in Europe comes from recycling.

 

The recycling process

 

The recycling of brass and copper alloys includes both secondary copper that comes from the collection of end-of-life products, such as cables and wires from electronic devices, and mechanical machining chips.

The burrs from hot forging and machining chips are entirely reused, thus allowing them to be transformed into new semi-finished products, in a potentially infinite cycle.

In addition, the high thermal conductivity of brass allows for low energy costs when producing new bars of raw material.

 

What benefits for the environment?

 

The theme of recyclability is linked to sustainability and to the development of a circular economy. The recycling of brass makes it possible to:

• reduce the environmental impact linked to the production and exploitation of resources;
• decrease the volume of waste in landfills;
• encourage the recycling of other materials;
• ensure its availability for future generations.

 

To provide you with a representative figure, in Europe the use of recycled brass as a production material avoids the annual diffusion of 900,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere (source ICSG).

 

Our commitment to quality and sustainability

 

We are aware of how our production activity can affect the environmental impact. That is why we have chosen brass as the raw material to process, thanks to the mechanical properties and virtuous characteristics of this alloy.

And that’s not all: we invest in research and continuous improvement of our technologies and processes to ensure excellent solutions in terms of quality and economic and energy sustainability.

All this is embodied in the parts we design, machine and customise according to the customer’s needs: reliable, durable and 100% reusable products for new projects.