Copper 2030 - Skarn's Copper Insight Series, Episode 4

If increasing recycled copper is part of your decarbonisation strategy, what exactly should you compare?

For some end users, increasing recycled content is becoming one of the levers considered in lower-carbon and circularity strategies. But the copper supply chain does not divide neatly into 'primary' and 'secondary'.

Primary smelters can take secondary feed alongside concentrate. Secondary producers can process very different grades of scrap, using very different technologies and energy sources. Some routes also use primary copper inputs.

So, the more useful question is not simply whether copper is primary or recycled. It is what went into the cathode, how it was produced and what carbon footprint resulted on a consistent basis.

Next week, Skarn will launch MeridianPCF - the first platform to compare both primary and secondary copper PCFs on a global basis, validated against ISO 14067 principles.

You can sign up for the launch and get free trial access here

Copper 2030 is our new series exploring how carbon comparability, sourcing and supplier information could shape copper markets over the next five years, and what buyers, producers and traders will need from that information.