As an extractive industry, the aluminium industry faces specific environmental challenges. Acknowledging these, it has committed to good environmental stewardship by its focus on:

• minimising any impact on the environment.
• minimising climate change impact.
• researching ways to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions
• promoting the responsible and safe disposal or re-use of waste products
• maximizing the use of recycled material
• restoring land to its natural state or to sustainable agriculture usage after mining (through mine rehabilitation programmes) or after other industrial processes.
•  The industry has also embarked on a rigorous life cycle analysis programme to develop as complete an understanding as possible. The life cycle analysis includes both the positive contributions that aluminium makes to the environmental and economic wellbeing of the world's population as well as any negative social or environmental impacts that might be caused by its production processes.

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