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Originally published in Scaling Circularity: Novelis 2023 Sustainability Report
At Novelis, we are committed to supplying our customers with high-quality, responsibly sourced, and lowest-carbon products possible. Aluminum’s durability, formability, and corrosion resistance make it ideal for numerous applications, including beverage packaging, automobiles, planes, buildings and so much more. We take concerted action across our value chain to enhance aluminum procurement practices, reduce environmental impacts through recycling, and bring aluminum circularity to scale.
Increasing High-Recycled-Content Products
Scaling circularity requires fully integrating recycled materials into our product portfolio. While we averaged 61% recycled aluminum content in FY23, several of our products contain more than 80% recycled content, including those for beverage packaging, food and cosmetics packaging, and various building and construction products.
Recycled Aluminum Supports the Auto Industry
We supply aluminum to the world’s leading automotive manufacturers for both traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicle (EV) models. Lightweight, durable, formable, and recyclable aluminum alloys help automakers increase the efficiency of their cars and reduce waste and carbon emissions. As EVs rise in popularity, Novelis teams in Europe, North America, and Asia are collaborating closely with customers to design structural components and body closures made from more sustainable aluminum alloys.
Product Life Cycle Benefits
Alumobility is a non-profit organization co-founded by Novelis and dedicated to demonstrating the advantages of using aluminum in the automotive industry. In 2023, Alumobility published a study that showed the advantages of using aluminum to lightweight lastmile delivery vehicles (LMDV). The study designed an aluminumintensive, battery electric vehicle (BEV) LMDV that meets all market requirements, then compared its life cycle assessment to that of a steel-intensive ICE and a steel-intensive BEV.
The analysis showed that the curb weight of the aluminumintensive BEV is 22% lighter than that of the steel BEV, allowing for a 6-kilowatt hours (kWh) reduction in battery size, less energy consumption, and fewer cradle-to-grave tCO2e emissions with the same performance. The manufacturing phase emissions of the aluminum-intensive BEV were lower per vehicle than those of the steel equivalent.
Using aluminum to lighten the vehicle body and/or closures creates possibilities for secondary lightweighting, too. A lighter body means a vehicle can achieve the same acceleration, driving performance, and range with smaller brakes, suspension parts, motor, and battery. These secondary weight savings are linked to even more CO2e emissions savings.
