Moddex Group's sustainable shift to Capral's LocAl® Green lower-carbon aluminium

In a bold move towards sustainability, Moddex Group Australia, a leading manufacturer of pre-fabricated handrail and balustrade systems, has announced its transition to Capral's LocAl® Green lower-carbon aluminium. This strategic decision underscores Moddex's commitment to environmental responsibility and contributes to the imperative goal of decarbonising the built environment and infrastructure projects.

The aluminium industry is gradually striving towards zero waste owing to adopting a circular economy, making the life cycle of aluminium resource-efficient. To know more about aluminium's contribution to an energy-efficient future read AL Circle's report on, "Sustainability in the Aluminium Industry". Over the years, global aluminium producers have experimented heavily to lower their ecological carbon footprint. Aluminium has a 100 per cent recyclable property which helps reduce 95 per cent of the energy consumed when produced from its virgin raw materials. 

Why LocAl®

The decision to adopt Capral's LocAl® Green lower-carbon aluminium is a significant step in Moddex's sustainability journey. This innovative product line includes two options: LocAl® Green, with carbon emissions of 8kg CO2e/kg Al, and LocAl® Super Green, at 4kg CO2e/kg Al—both among the lowest-carbon aluminium options available globally.

"Aluminium is a versatile and widely used material in construction, it's well suited to our products and has many benefits, its durable, corrosion resistant, light and strong however, it is also known for its energy-intensive production processes, which can result in substantial carbon emissions. By partnering with Capral and switching our extruded aluminium purchases to LocAl®, Moddex is not only ensuring the quality of its products but also aligning its operations with environmental stewardship principles," commented Joe Rowland, Sales Director at Moddex.

Decarbonising the built environment is a pressing global challenge

Decarbonising the built environment is a pressing global challenge with significant implications. Buildings and infrastructure contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions from construction activities and operational energy consumption. Therefore, transitioning to more sustainable materials, such as lower-carbon aluminium, is crucial for mitigating the environmental impact of the built environment.

Luke Hawkins, General Manager of Supply & Industrial Solutions, stated, "In 2023, 30% of the primary aluminium billet Capral uses in its eight local extrusion presses had a carbon content lower than eight kilograms CO2e per kilogram of aluminium. Approximately 300 tonnes had a certified carbon content lower than 4 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram of aluminium. This is a strategic change for Capral, driven by our desire to make lower-carbon aluminium accessible to Australian manufacturers like Moddex. The market is looking for this product, and as Australia's largest extruder of aluminium, we must make it available."

As businesses across various sectors recognise the urgency of addressing climate change, proactive initiatives like this inspire emulation and collective action. By demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of sustainable practices, Moddex creates a ripple effect, encouraging other companies to embrace sustainability as a core business principle.

Capral's ASI certification

In addition to the lower-carbon credentials of LocAl®, Capral has recently been certified against the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard V3 and Chain of Custody (CoC) V2 for the extrusion, warehousing, and distribution of aluminium products and services. These certifications cover all 26 of Capral's facilities, which include mills, distribution centres, and trade centres across every state and territory in Australia. These recognitions underscore Capral's commitment to the responsible production, sourcing, and management of aluminium products.

"Our product is often specified for commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects, which have stringent sustainability and environmental stewardship requirements. Capral's ASI certification enables us to communicate that the aluminium we are supplying has been responsibly sourced from the very start of the aluminium value chain from mining and refining to the extrusions, which are custom manufactured for our systems,” added Joe.