Reciclagem do alumínio no contexto da economia circular: desafios e oportunidades

Abstract

The inadequate disposal of solid waste causes many environmental impacts and, as a result of these factors, the theme has evolved, increasing the attention of environmental agencies and the environmental responsibility of people in general. This is visible in consumption, reuse and recycling actions, in a circular economy vision. The topic is also relevant for aluminum recycling. Thus, this work aims to evaluate the panorama of aluminum recycling within the context of the circular economy. The temporal growth of research on the subject will be evaluated, as well as the countries with the greatest interest in research on a global and national scale. The panorama of aluminum recycling will be obtained through a systematic search and bibliometric analysis, and also through the use of interviews through digital and printed forms. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation conceptualizes the circular economy, bringing the idea of separating economic development from the consumption of natural resources. Thus, it can be considered an economic model that replaces the final disposal of waste with reduction, reuse and recycling and recovery of materials. The results found through interviews show how aluminum recycling and the circular economy work in the best possible way to reduce the use of raw materials from natural resources. We interviewed 130 consumers and 6 companies, workers in the recycling area and that the vision was satisfactory for both groups. Regarding the bibliometric analysis, the countries that stand out in the research are Italy, China and the United States and there has been a great evolution in this theme over the last few years, that, although aluminum recycling is something widely recognized and applied, the topic within the context of the circularity of materials is still recent and deserves to be highlighted.