Nexans Supports Circular Economy with the Launch of Nexans Recycling Services

As part of its commitment to sustainable development, Nexans has launched a cable recycling service that will allow the Group’s customers and partners to monetize and dispose of their leftover copper and aluminum cables while contributing to the circular economy. 

Paris La Défense, October 30, 2017 – As the strain on resources and global waste generation continue to increase, efficient use of raw materials and state-of-the-art waste management is crucial for global sustainable development. In a few decades, metal will become increasingly scarce and recycling will become an ever more important source of metal.1 In fact, even today, more than 33% of the world’s aluminum and 40% of total copper production come from recycling, e.g. “urban mines”.2 To further promote and encourage circular economy, Nexans has launched Nexans Recycling Services aimed at helping customers and partners manage their cable waste.

With this launch, Nexans intends to simplify disposal of any copper or aluminum cable regardless of its origins. The new service allows installers, distributors, utilities as well as OEMs, resource companies and contractors to benefit from monetary compensation for their cable waste based on a transparent valorization process.

Nexans Recycling Services include turnkey logistics solutions: from collection of leftover and end-of-life cables from construction sites, renovation sites or dismantled installations to their transfer to Nexans’ recycling facilities. In addition, Nexans Recycling Services team also provides empty containers for bulk cable waste as well as trucks for cable drums.

According to a EU directive, since 2008, companies in Europe are legally responsible for their cable waste until they can prove it has been disposed or recycled. To address such liabilities, Nexans is committed to ensuring full traceability of the operations along the recycling process.

Also, as copper and aluminum, two core components of electrical cables, are 100% reusable, Nexans seeks to improve resource efficiency and reduce potential emissions from mining and refining processes by separating and recovering the non-ferrous metals from cable waste.

[1] S.H. Ali, D. Giurco, N. Arndt, E. Nickless et al. “Mineral supply for sustainable development requires resource governance”. Nature. March 2017: 376-372. Print

[2] Bureau of International Recycling, 2017