The recycling of non-ferrous materials is a raw material resource very favorable to sustainable development. It consists of producing raw materials from waste (new scraps or end-of-life materials) and reintroducing them into the industrial cycle. These raw materials are said to be secondary, this expression does not mean that these materials are of inferior quality but that they are raw materials which have already been incorporated at least once into a product in the form of raw materials. In the non-ferrous metals sector in particular, the recycling activity is of great importance for the economy because it contributes to ensuring the security of supply of raw materials. In addition, it has a positive environmental impact on energy consumption and environmental protection. Moreover, its stake is crucial for French industry, which has led to the organization of a real industrial sector animated by a whole chain of industrialists.

A true resource, recycling contributes to security of supply and the protection of primary resources as part of a sustainable development approach. In this area, the action of the public authorities is particularly active at national and European level. All of these actions are supported by the dynamics of an industrial sector in full evolution.