From the pen you write with to the transport you take, metals are used so ubiquitously they need to be used sustainably - and therefore they play a major role in Europe's sustainable development.
We'd like to take you on a journey of where this is already taking place...
They are crucial components in making transport more sustainable.
The average car contains 140kg of lightweight aluminium in body panels, engine blocks, roofs and wheels. This saves 65 litres of fuel per year.
A combination of platinum, palladium or rhodium is used in a car's catalytic converter, reducing harmful exhaust emissions by up to 90%.
Protective zinc and nickel coatings extend car lifetime, allowing manufacturers to offer 10-year corrosion warranties.
Through advanced lead-based batteries, start-stop and micro-hybrid systems reduce fuel consumption by 10%.
The automotive industry continues to lower its CO2 emissions, producing more energy efficient and resource efficient Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles.
We see more hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles on EU roads, paving the way to common goals for a decarbonised transport system. Advanced powertrains contain even more metals.
Hybrid and electric vehicles are powered by nickel-metal hydride or lithium-ion batteries (with lead batteries providing auxiliary power). These contain a variety of metals, including aluminium, cobalt, manganese and nickel.
While a conventional car contains 15kg of copper, over 60kg is needed in electrified vehicles, due to increased electrical and wiring requirements.
Rare earth metals including dysprosium, neodymium and terbium are used essentially in permanent magnets in electrical motors.
Fuel cell vehicles depend on platinum, which is used as a catalyst to generate electricity from hydrogen.
More people living in cities and climate change challenges mean
For sustainable, durable, recyclable construction, metals are first choice. Additionally, more than
of a building's metal products are recycled at the end of their life.
Different metals are used in a variety of striking and memorable European buildings. For example:
The façade of Berlin's distinctive Jewish museum is clad in zinc, with its unsettling zig-zag form intended to provoke reflection on Jewish history in Germany.
Zinc was chosen for its appearance and longevity, and will change colour as the building is exposed to light and weather.
Zinc provides a barrier and cathodic protection. When unprotected, the steel will corrode or rust in almost any environment.
Zinc sheet is used extensively in the building industry for roofing, wall cladding, gutters and downspouts, where it can last over 100 years. In Western Europe, 90% of rolled zinc is recovered at end of useful life.
Die-cast zinc is also used in numerous places, such as door and window hardware, or kitchen and bathroom fixtures.
Standing 30 meters tall, the Kelpies are one of the largest equine sculptures in the world. 150 tonnes of Nickel-containing stainless steel provides the outer "skin" for each horse, chosen for its longevity and its visual effect against the natural backdrop.
Stainless steel has been used in architecture, building and construction since its invention.
Stainless steel contains an alloy combination of nickel, chromium, molybdenum and other metals. Used in buildings or infrastructure, it is extremely strong and corrosion resistant.
The Chrysler Building façade has only been cleaned twice in 84 years thanks to nickel-containing stainless steel.
The famous dome of St Paul's Cathedral has dominated the City of London for several centuries. Conceived by Christopher Wren in 1697, the outer dome's distinctive grey colour is given by lead sheet cladding, which provides high durability and minimizes maintenance costs.
Lead sheet is an attractive and effective roofing material that will last more than 100 years.
100% of European lead sheet is now made from recycled material. In addition, more than 95% of lead sheet from construction and demolitions is collected and recycled.
The Blue Planet is Northern Europe's largest and most modern aquarium. Over 27,000m2 of aluminium sheet has been used to clad the walls and roofs, providing seawater resistance, and allowing rainwater be collected and passed onto the aquarium without ablution.
It's been estimated that of the estimated 900 million tonnes of aluminium produced since 1880, three quarters are still in use, 35% of which is in building construction.
Intelligent facades incorporating aluminium systems can decrease energy consumption in buildings by up to 50%; as in the European Parliament building, which contains about 1000 tonnes of aluminium in its facades.
Winner of the 2013 Copper in Architecture awards, the Platform of Arts and Creativity has transformed Guimaraes' old marketplace into a multifuncional space dedicated to cultural activities. Copper has been used to bring historical contextualisation, providing a confident response to the challenges of working within a UNESCO and City of Culture site.
25% of all the copper produced is used in buildings, for plumbing, roofing and cladding. It provides light, durable maintenance-free structures that are long lasting and fully recyclable, providing a range of colours, forms and textures.
Copper alloys have also entered modern architecture in the last decades: bronzes, brasses and copper-aluminium are increasingly used for building facades, thanks to their appealing look and long life.
The transformation of our energy system is not possible without innovative metal materials. Metals are major contributors in storing, transporting and generating renewable energy.
200 km or 30 tonnes of copper. Within one year, 1 tonne of copper
saves 150x the CO2 needed to produce it.
Up to half a tonne of nickel is used so iron castings can withstand low temperatures.
Molybdenum and zinc enhance the longevity and performance of high-tech steel. Thermally-sprayed zinc provides over 20 years of corrosion protection.
These systems generate electricity or heat from the sun's energy, through a combination of up to 22 non-ferrous metals including:
per megawatt in photovoltaic systems is 4-5 tonnes - four times more than conventional power.
in traditional solar cells make up 91% of the overall photovoltaics market.
containing several metals optimise efficiency in thin-film solar cells and include beryllium, gallium, germanium, indium and molybdenum.
Because the sun only shines part of the day, and the wind doesn't blow all the time, renewable energy needs to be stored in periods of low demand and released in periods of high demand.
Battery energy storage supports the integration of renewables and stabilization of the electricity grid, based on lead, lithium, nickel or sodium technologies.
Put your feet up and have some food or drink - from your resource-efficient metals packaging. Aluminium is used in a wide range of packaging applications, including beverage cans, foil trays, food containers or coffee capsules.
Other metals are used as alloying or plating materials, including tin, magnesium and zinc.
Take your aluminium beverage can as an example:
Recent innovations using metals have significantly improved the energy and resource efficiency of modern communications and IT devices. The ICT industry now accounts for a third of global demand for copper, silver and tin.
Copper and silver are needed for circuitry and electronic wiring.
Tin is required for soldering of electronic components.
The use of technology metals has also increased in the ICT sector, including 40% global production of antimony, indium, ruthenium and rare earth elements. Metals are also essential in IT and telecommunications infrastructure:
Copper is the most used element in telecommunication systems, thanks to its conductive properties.
Most of the world's mobile networks and IT infrastructure rely on lead batteries for emergency power.
Semi-conductors such as germanium and silicium are essential for fiber optic communications.
Demand for metals in the ICT sector will continue to increase, requiring continued efforts to maximise resource efficiency and circular management.
What are they used for?
About 16 grams of copper are used in your phone's electronic wiring.
Lithium and cobalt power your battery.
Tungsten allows your phone to vibrate.
Gallium arsenide amplifies your receiver and transmitter.
Rare earth elements produce the colours in your screen.
Precious metals such as gold, silver and palladium are used to conduct electricity in circuitry.
Indium-tin oxide makes your screen touch sensitive.
Tantalum micro-capacitors improve audio quality.
Neodymium and dysprosium are used in your loudspeaker's powerful magnets.
Smart phones with aluminium or stainless steel frames are expected to grow by 250% in the next two years.
Creating sustainable societies involves more than just the external environment, we also need to look after our internal environment - our own bodies. The sustainable use of metals is crucial in improving human health and quality of life.
Many metals are trace elements such as
which are essential for the human body to function healthily and effectively.
In addition, metals are used increasingly widely in modern medicine, treatments and patient-care technologies.
Platinum is a key ingredient in chemotherapy. It's also used in artificial pacemakers to assist the heart in stabilizing the heartbeat.
Stainless steel alloying with several metals (nickel, chromium etc.) is used in medical equipment and hospital surfaces for durability and efficient sterilization.
As a barrier to radiation, lead is unrivalled and essential in hospital x-rays, dentists' surgeries, and laboratories.
Copper-alloy touch surfaces help to reduce healthcare-associated infections due to their intrinsic antimicrobial properties.
Titanium and aluminium are used for light-weight prosthetic limbs, restoring many of the capabilities that would have been lost from amputation.
Zinc oxide is a key ingredient in sun screens protecting the skin effectively from UV radiation.
