Heraeus Precious Metals, a globally leading company in the precious metals industry and one of the largest recyclers of precious metals, has introduced its new offering for products made with 100% recycled precious metals. The recycled material is available under the brand name Circlear and based on a mass balance approach. It comes with a significantly lower carbon footprint, thereby helping customers to meet their sustainability goals.
Circlear products are available for seven precious metals including gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium and iridium. A significant portion of Heraeus' precious metal product portfolio can be offered as Circlear, catering to diverse industrial applications, such as chemical products, catalytic gauzes, electrical contacts, and pharmaceutical ingredients.
The Circlear recycled precious metals originate from secondary sources, such as spent chemical or automotive catalysts. Recycled precious metals have the same high quality and purity as material from primary extraction but an up to 98%1 lower carbon footprint. One kilogram of recycled precious metals saves up to 33 metric tons of CO21, which equates to the average carbon dioxide emissions of a new EU passenger car traveling more than 300,000 kilometers.
“For decades, circularity has been part of Heraeus Precious Metals’ DNA,” emphasized André Christl, CEO of Heraeus Precious Metals. “We recognize our customer’s growing demand for sustainable solutions. With Circlear, we offer a solution that allows our customers to reduce their Scope 3 carbon footprint and to accurately track their progress towards their sustainability goals.”
In accordance with ISO 14021, TÜV Süd has verified that the recycled precious metals content in Circlear products amounts to 100%. For every quantity of precious metals verified as Circlear, the equivalent quantity of precious metals from secondary sources has entered the production process. Circlear will be available for the European market and is planned to be launched in further regions soon.
Heraeus Precious Metals operates eleven recycling facilities in seven countries around the globe to recover precious metals from secondary sources. The company is continuously expanding its worldwide recycling capacities and capabilities: Between 2018 and 2026, it will have invested a total of 300 million euros in further capacities in Europe, North America, and Asia. By 2025, Heraeus Precious Metals aims to be carbon-neutral for its own operations (Scope 1 & 2) and reach net zero in 2033. The indirect emissions (Scope 3) will be reduced by 50% until 2033 compared to 2020.
1International Platinum Group Metals Association reports from 2022 and 2023
