France is the country in Europe with the highest net exports of metal waste: six million tonnes in 2021, which are recycled in Belgium, Germany or Italy.
France could better exploit its “urban mines” of metals, that is to say the recycling of its metal waste, in particular copper from the dismantling of electrical networks, demolition of buildings or car wrecks, according to a report released Wednesday. France is the country in Europe with the highest net exports of metal waste: six million tonnes in 2021, which are recycled in Belgium, Germany or Italy, countries that are net importers of waste, indicates the consulting firm Oliver Wyman in this report.
Only 66,000 tonnes of copper recycled each year
The example of copper, a crucial metal for the energy transition, is emblematic. Industrial France consumes 257,000 tonnes per year, in particular to manufacture the highly demanded electrical cables, strategic for the electrification of current uses, which will make it possible to replace oil and gas of fossil origin which warm the climate. However, some 218,000 tonnes of copper waste from demolition sites or other sources are also collected each year. Of this total, only 66,000 tonnes are recycled per year in the territory.
Some 206,000 tonnes are exported and 53,000 tonnes imported, completes the report, which compiles figures from several sources, notably the national recycling report of Ademe, the energy transition agency. “We are dealing with a trade balance issue, because this added value could be captured in France”, estimates Eric Confais, partner at the firm Oliver Wyman, “provided we have the industrial hydrometallurgy installations to separate the alloys and the machefers” and be able to compete with Umicor in Belgium or Aurubis in Germany.
“If we doubled copper recycling in France, the country could reduce its trade deficit by 3%” and could improve its performance for the decarbonization of the waste sector which is “stagnant”.
A single copper recycling plant in France
In order to “promote the development of industrial sectors for the collection, sorting of metal waste and transformation into recycled raw materials”, it would be necessary to play on regulations by “imposing rates of incorporation of recycled materials as exists for plastic in particular” and “we should also limit the export of metal waste,” explains Eric Confais.
France currently has only one copper recycling plant, in Lens (Pas-de-Calais), operated by the cable group Nexans, in connection with Suez. Nexans has announced an extension of its site by 2026 to increase its production by more than 50% and allow it to recycle “up to 80,000 tonnes of copper per year”.
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