The Worl d Copper Factbook 2019 International Copper Study Group 52 Chapter 7 Copper Recycling Copper is among the few materia l s that do not degrade or lose their chemical or phys i cal properties in the recycling process Considering this th e existing c o ppe r reservoir in use can well be considered a legit i mate part of world copper rese rves In the recent decades an increas i ng em pha sis has be en placed on the susta i nability of ma terial use s in which the concept of reuse an d recycling of metals pla y s an important role in the mate rial choice and acceptance of pro d ucts If appro p r i at ely ma na ged recycling has the pot e ntial to extend the use of resources and to minimize ener gy use some emissions and waste dis p osal Closing metal loops through increased re use and recycling enha nces the overall reso urce productiv i ty an d therefore repre s ents one of the key elements of soci ety s transition towards more sustainable pr oduct i on and cons umpt ion patterns It is widely recogniz ed that recycling is not in oppo sit i on to primary me tal pro d uction but is a necessary and be nef i cial complement In 2017 ICSG estimates that 33 of global copper us e came fro m recycled copper Some c o unt rie s copper requireme n ts greatly depend on recycled copper to meet inte rna l demands Howeve r recyc l e d copper alone cannot meet societys needs so we als o rely on copper pro duced from the processing of mineral ores Images court e sy of the European Coppe r Institute