Aluminium Stewardship Initiative

Why aluminium for sustainability?

Aluminium is considered a highly sustainable building material - in fact, it is often called the 'green metal' because of its environmentally friendly associations. Aluminium has unique properties that make it an excellent material for a sustainable economy.

It is chemically and physically like other well-used materials such as brass, copper, lead, steel or titanium. As a result, the same equipment can be used during production methods. It is exceptionally light, which will reduce production costs and increase capacity. It is strong, especially as temperatures drop, and naturally corrosion resistant.

Aluminium is a great electricity and heat conductor, which makes it the first choice for many applications. It is a good reflector of heat and light; it is ductile and has a low melting point and density. Its strength is that it can be processed in several ways in a molten condition.

Uses of aluminium

• Transportation: Lower greenhouse gas emissions through light weight vehicles
• Infrastructure: Energy efficiency for buildings and cities
• Packaging: Preservation of medicines and food through its strength and barrier properties.

Aluminium recyclability

Aluminium is 100% recyclable, and recycled aluminium is identical to the raw product. This makes it a much more cost-effective source material for production runs. In addition, the re-melting of aluminium requires little energy, which makes it very efficient.

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)

ASI is a global non-profit organization. It brings together relevant stakeholders in the aluminium value chain who are committed to maximizing the contribution of aluminium to a sustainable society through responsible production, sourcing and stewardship.

The ASI Performance and Chain of Custody Standards have been developed and designed to be globally applied, and throughout the aluminium value chain to:

• Demonstrate responsibility and provide independent and credible assurance of performance
• Reinforce and promote consumer and stakeholder confidence in aluminium products
• Build partnerships and relationships across the public, private and voluntary sectors
• Reduce reputational risks concerning aluminium and aluminium industry players
• Address the expressed needs by downstream industrial users and consumers for responsible sourcing of aluminium.

ASI’s standards are applicable to all stages of aluminium production and transformation, specifically: bauxite mining, alumina refining, primary aluminium production, semi-fabrication (rolling, extrusion, forging and foundry), material conversion, and refining and re-melting of recycled scrap, as well as material stewardship criteria relevant to downstream users of aluminium.

Certification against ASI Standards requires independent third-party auditing by ASI Accredited Auditors to verify that an organization’s management systems and performance conforms to the relevant Standard/s.

BM TRADA certification to ASI standards

BM TRADA is a leading accredited certification body which provides global certification services to a variety of standards. Choosing us means you are working with an experienced certification body whose name is readily accepted by regulators, purchasers and suppliers around the world.

BM TRADA certifies organizations to the two ASI standards:

• ASI Performance Standard is a management systems standard which defines 59 environmental, social and governance principles and criteria, with the aim to address sustainability issues in the aluminium value chain
• ASI Chain of Custody Standard complements the ASI Performance Standard and sets out requirements for the creation of a Chain of Custody for material, including ASI Aluminium, which is produced and processed through the value chain into diverse downstream sectors. This Standard supports responsible supply chains.

Our experienced team of certification experts are on hand to guide you through the process. Email us or call us on 01494 840 774 and we'll get back to you.