By bringing aluminium back into circulation instead of sending materials to landfill, Hydro CIRCAL helps customers increase circular material use reduce product-level emissions.
Key facts about Hydro CIRCAL
- Carbon footprint: 1.9 (EU) and 1.5 (US) CO2e per kg aluminium*
- Verification: Process verifiction by DNV
- Documentation: Product-specific EPDs and Scope 1-3 footprint data
- Availability: Europe and United States
*Product and market dependent
Why manufacturers choose recycled aluminium with verified post-consumer content
Manufacturers across automotive, construction, infrastructure and consumer industries are under increasing pressure to reduce product-level emissions and document circular material choices.
At the same time, recycled aluminium on the market often relies heavily on pre-consumer scrap or average-based reporting, making it difficult to verify the actual environmental impact of the material used. Hydro CIRCAL was developed to increase the use of post-consumer aluminium scrap at industrial scale while providing verified recycled content and documented carbon footprint data.
This enables customers to:
- Reduce Scope 3 emissions
- Increase circular material use
- Support sustainability reporting
- Meet procurement and certification requirements
- Localize supply chain and decrease reliance on imports
What post-consumer recycled aluminium means and why it's important
Post-consumer scrap comes from aluminium products that have already been used and reached end of life such as buildings, façades, vehicles, cables and consumer electronics. This differs from pre-consumer scrap, also called industrial scrap, which is production scrap generated during manufacturing. Post-consumer scrap is generally considered more circular because it brings aluminium back into use after the product has served its original purpose. If the scrap is not brought back into the recycling loop, it ends up as waste in landfills and serves no further purpose.
Recycling post-consumer aluminium is more complex and requires advanced sorting, alloy control and process technology to meet demanding quality and performance requirements. This is where Hydro’s recycling technology, expertise, and ability to make use of the scrap in an industrial scale, are critical.
Pre-consumer vs post-consumer aluminium scrap
| Category |
Pre-consumer scrap |
Post-consumer scrap |
| Origin |
Generated during manufacturing |
Recovered after product use |
| Typical sources |
Cleaner and easier to recycle |
Complex to sort and process |
| Recycling complexity |
Easier to process |
Diverts waste from landfills |
| Circular impact |
Ensure recycling of industrial waste |
Avoids end‑of‑life aluminium being sent to landfill |
| Sustainability impact |
Lowers waste in manufacturing process |
Reduces landfill and demand for new material |
Verified recycled content and documented carbon footprint
The post-consumer scrap content is tracked and documented for each production batch. The process is independently verified by DNV, and documented with product-specific carbon footprint data. This gives customers verified data to meet their science-based decarbonization targets.
Manufacturers receive:
- Verified minimum 75% post-consumer recycled content
- Product carbon footprint documentation (Scope 1–3)
- Batch-specific traceability and verification
- Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
Unlike average-based reporting, batch-level verification confirms the actual recycled content and carbon footprint of the material delivered.
This gives manufacturers reliable documentation for:
- Scope 3 reporting
- Green building certifications
- Procurement requirements
- External sustainability communication and marketing claims
Download Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
