This synopsis highlights key findings from the following reports of the International Resource Panel: A) Priority products and materials: assessing the environmental impacts of consumption and production; B) Decoupling ...

A Product-Centric approach is necessary to promote metals recycling in the 21st century. This means the application of economically viable technology and methods throughout the recovery chain to extract metals from the ...

In theory, metals can be used over and over again, minimizing the need to mine and process virgin materials and thus saving substantial amounts of energy and water while minimizing environmental degradation. Raising levels ...

The global metals production shows tremendous impact on the world’s energy use, as primary metals production is responsible for 7 – 8 % of the total global energy use. Furthermore primary metal production causes severe ...

This report focuses on the impact of metals on the environment as well as on their life cycle energy use. Currently primary metals production is responsible for 7 8 % of the total global energy use as well as for severe ...

This report discusses how to increase metal-recycling rates – and thus resource efficiency from both quantity and quality viewpoints. The discussion is based on data about recycling input, and the technological infrastructure ...

Recycling rates of metals are far lower than potential for reuse. Less than one-third of 60 studied have a recycling rate above 50 per cent, though many are crucial to clean technologies such as batteries for hybrid cars ...

These cases were selected to showcase innovative and visionary approaches to sustainable infrastructure change across a broad range of contexts, and are intended to demonstrate the abundance of options available that could ...

Big energy and greenhouse gas savings also possible from upping recycling rates of iron and copper says new UN Environment report

The unique properties of metals make them essential for many applications and future global demand is predicted to increase. Given this relevance the report of UNEP’s International Resource Panel on “Environmental Risks ...