A survey conducted by United Kingdom-based ITRI Inc. estimates that nearly one-third of the tin produced in 2013 was secondary metal produced from recycled materials.
The ITRI survey of the global tin industry has led to several findings, including:
- Recycling rates have increased steadily over the last decade, with the proportion of total annual tin use accounted for by secondary material (secondary refined tin and tin in the form of secondary alloys) reaching 32 percent in 2013.
- Secondary refined tin production remains strong and an important supply source for tin users at around 62,600 metric tons in 2014, up from 58,000 metric tons in 2013.
- Taking into account the combined use of primary refined, secondary refined and secondary alloy re-use, ITRI estimates that around 429,400 metric tons of tin was used in 2014.
- World refined tin use in 2013 was 349,200 metric tons, increasing by 3.5 percent to an estimated 361,000 metric tons in 2014.
- At just under 49 percent of the global market; solder still holds the top position as the world’s largest tin use sector, with tonnages continuing to grow since 2012, although its share of the market reduced slightly as other market sectors have grown.
- Tin chemicals overtook the tinplate sector in 2014 to become the second biggest tin use sector globally, accounting for an estimated 15.6 percent of the market.
“Responsible resource management has become an increasingly important issue for end-users and consumers, and it is vital to understand where tin comes from and how it is used in order to make improvements to resource use efficiency and encourage responsible use of natural resources,” ITRI states in a news release announcing its report.
“The annual survey provides ITRI with a unique opportunity to verify tin use estimates and recycling rates based on actual consumption figures,” says Andrew Cooper, ITRI’s materials stewardship manager. “This latest survey has achieved one of the highest participation rates since this work began almost a decade ago, and we are particularly encouraged to see that recycling rates within the industry remain on a positive upwards trend.”
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