Catering for the growing need for advanced materials to help tackle societal challenges

Advanced materials are and have always been, vital to human progress. Coupled with technological know-how, they enable more scalable, more efficient and more sustainable solutions to tackle the societal challenges of today and tomorrow. Think space exploration, connectivity, new energy, electronics appliances, life science …

To build the future we all want and given the fact that our natural resources are becoming increasingly depleted, we are working at full speed to develop the next generation of sustainable advanced materials:

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We see value where others see waste

As a leader in circularity, we use the most sophisticated, eco-efficient recycling processes available to treat not just our own production scrap but industrial waste, by-products from other non-ferrous industries and just about any product that has reached end-of-life.

We close the loop and recover over 20 different precious and other critical metals, drastically reducing our customers’ ecological footprint and giving them a competitive edge.

Your waste, our specialty

Materials Come In

As a Umicore supplier, you have the option to ship your end-of-life materials, production scrap or by-products to us for recycling and further refining.

We Recycle Them

You can expect a short recycling loop, fully integrated in our product offering, for easy-to-recycle materials like pure gold and silver, and a long loop for more complex products, like industrial residues.

We Provide Value

As a supplier, you have the option: have the recycled metals returned to you or choose to have us sell them to other parties for you.

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Why work with us?

Mutually reinforcing activities

We combine our broad know-how in chemistry, material science and metallurgy to transform metals into high-tech custom-made, fully recyclable materials. Our eco-efficient recycling facilities offer the highest metal yields and comply with world-class quality standards. Whether it’s industrial waste or a by-product from non-ferrous industries: if it can be recycled, we recycle it.

Circular business model

We embrace the fact that metals are infinitely recyclable. Circularity, where materials are given a new life repeatedly and are kept within the economy, is an essential differentiating factor in the way we do business.

Industry leader in sustainability

A sustainability champion in the industry, we make it a priority to offer sustainable solutions and secure a sustainable value chain meeting the highest ethical, quality and regulatory standards. Our sustainability commitment is very straightforward: together, we go for zero.

Umicore 2030 RISE

With our 2030 strategy, we are embarking on a new phase in Umicore’s journey to become a leading circular materials technology company. A company built on profitable and sustainable growth, creating tangible value for all of its stakeholders.

Our strategy

Our Precious Metals Refining activity operates the largest and most complex precious metals recycling facility in the world.

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Our Cobalt & Specialty Materials activity is highly specialized in recycling, refining, transforming, and marketing cobalt, with a presence across all continents.

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