“Aluminium should not become part of global ecological challenges in the future, but rather contribute to resource-efficient material cycles,” says Arnd Brinkmann, CEO of GUTMANN Bausysteme. As a supplier of system-based aluminium solutions for buildings, GUTMANN therefore pursues a long-term strategy focused on efficient circular economy processes in the production and processing of aluminium, membership of A|U|F e.V., and recycling-oriented product design for Cradle-to-Cradle-certified façade and window systems.
Aluminium is a fascinating material. Its unique properties have inspired engineers for decades to create bold constructions that combine lightness with high strength and durability – from aircraft and motorsport engineering to aerospace technology and high-rise architecture. The lightweight metal, discovered only around 200 years ago by the British chemist Sir Humphry Davy in 1808, has a very low density of approximately 2.6 to 2.8 grams per cubic centimetre. It is comparatively easy and economical to process, stable, impact-resistant, flexible and highly weather-resistant. When aluminium comes into direct contact with oxygen, it forms a durable oxide layer that protects the material against corrosion and ensures the long-term durability of aluminium constructions.
Will aluminium become scarce?
At first glance, aluminium does not appear to be a scarce resource. With bauxite accounting for around 8.1% of the Earth’s crust, aluminium is the third most abundant element and the most common metal in the world. Around 80 million tonnes are produced annually. However, global demand continues to rise steadily. At the same time, China – heavily affected by environmental pollution – has significantly reduced production at its smelters, which previously covered around half of global aluminium demand.
Since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted supply chains and led to shortages and sharp price increases, it has become clear that aluminium could face increasing scarcity in the future. Some experts are already speaking of a looming aluminium crisis. The war in Ukraine, ongoing since February 2022, has further intensified this development and caused prices for industrial metals to rise dramatically. While the World Bank had forecast aluminium price increases of around five per cent for 2022 before the escalation of global crises, aluminium prices had already surpassed the USD 4,000 per tonne mark by February 2022. The end of this development remains uncertain, particularly in light of ongoing pressures within global energy markets.
As aluminium rarely occurs in pure form and must usually be extracted from chemical compounds, production processes require large amounts of energy – and energy prices are currently at historically high levels. In addition to resource scarcity and geopolitical instability, climate change and the transition towards climate-neutral economies have also brought aluminium production into critical focus. The electrolysis process used to extract aluminium from bauxite is highly energy-intensive, while bauxite mining in countries such as Brazil and India can threaten rainforest ecosystems. Furthermore, aluminium production generates toxic red mud, the disposal of which places considerable strain on local ecosystems. These are challenges that confront the global aluminium industry with important questions for the future. Yet despite these concerns, one fact remains clear: a future without aluminium would be a poorer future. For industries ranging from aviation and mobility to mechanical engineering and construction, aluminium will remain indispensable for decades to come.
A centre for the Catholic parish community in Troisdorf
With its Cradle to Cradle Bronze certification, the façade system falls into the second category, as its easily dismantled aluminium components are designed for long-term material cycles. As a so-called permanent material, the recovered aluminium elements can repeatedly re-enter recycling processes, meaning that every aluminium component installed today also becomes a valuable raw material resource for the future.
“From our perspective, aluminium should no longer form part of the global ecological problem in the future, but rather become an intelligent part of the solution,” explains Arnd Brinkmann. “With innovative systems, we are therefore laying an important foundation today for the durable and resource-efficient architecture of tomorrow. In Germany alone, around one third of energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, as well as more than half of total waste generation, are attributable to the construction industry. We must therefore uphold our shared responsibility for a sustainable future in construction with even greater consistency, because the buildings we construct today will shape the environmental future and living environment of future generations for decades to come.”
Recycling and renewable energy
The positive news is that, despite current economic and environmental challenges, aluminium offers significant potential for resource-efficient material cycles. On the one hand, the high energy demand of aluminium production can be reduced through the use of renewable energy. On the other hand, aluminium is highly recyclable and can be reused repeatedly within modern recycling processes using significantly less energy than primary production requires.
“One of the key factors determining the resource efficiency of aluminium is its origin and, in particular, the form of energy used during production,” explains Arnd Brinkmann, CEO of GUTMANN Bausysteme.
Cradle to Cradle: product design for future generations
For Arnd Brinkmann, another key issue is the use of aluminium within the most closed material cycles possible:
“Recycled materials can help reduce the demand for primary raw materials. For this reason, GUTMANN Bausysteme operates its own remelting facility. Aluminium scrap generated during production is melted down and cast into new high-quality aluminium billets for the manufacture of our aluminium profiles. At the same time, we consistently focus on recycling-oriented product design,” explains Arnd Brinkmann.
For example, the GUTMANN GCW 050/060 façade system not only offers excellent conditions for creative planning and outstanding construction properties. Thanks to its consistently standardised design, the system is also optimised for particularly economical and efficient fabrication and carries Cradle to Cradle Bronze certification.
This means that the product already fulfils important requirements of current certification standards with regard to material health, material cycles, renewable energy, water stewardship and social responsibility.
For Arnd Brinkmann, the Cradle-to-Cradle principle developed around the turn of the millennium by German chemist Michael Braungart and American architect William McDonough forms an important part of GUTMANN Bausysteme’s future strategy. In their 2002 book Remaking the Way We Make Things, Braungart and McDonough introduced a product design concept for a sustainable future that distinguishes between two categories of products: consumable products that can be biologically degraded, and durable products that can repeatedly re-enter recycling processes.
With its Cradle to Cradle Bronze certification, the façade system falls into the second category, as its easily dismantled aluminium components are designed for long-term material cycles. As a so-called “permanent material”, the recovered aluminium elements can repeatedly re-enter recycling processes, meaning that every aluminium component installed today also becomes a valuable raw material resource for the future.
“From our perspective, aluminium should contribute to resource-efficient material cycles in the future,” explains Arnd Brinkmann. “With innovative systems, we are therefore laying an important foundation today for the durable and resource-efficient architecture of tomorrow. In Germany alone, around one third of energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, as well as more than half of total waste generation, are attributable to the construction industry. We must therefore uphold our shared responsibility for a sustainable future in construction with even greater consistency – because the buildings we construct today will shape the environmental future and living environment of future generations for decades to come.”
