Resource Circulation Initiatives in the Copper & Copper Alloy Products Business

Guided by its vision, “For people, society and the Earth, circulating resources for a sustainable future,” the Mitsubishi Materials Group is developing a recycling-based business model that connects the collection of end-of-life products, dismantling, sorting and separation, resource recovery through smelting, and the processing and supply of high-performance materials and products. This initiative builds on our broad business foundation, extending from upstream copper smelting to downstream copper and copper alloy products.

In our Copper & Copper Alloy Products business, we use high-quality electrolytic copper produced through our copper smelting operations as the base material to manufacture a wide range of products, including oxygen-free copper, high-performance copper alloys, copper strips, plates, rods and wire rods. These products serve diverse applications in the automotive, semiconductor and electronic equipment industries. Through our integrated operations, spanning upstream copper smelting to downstream processing, we strive to balance the stable supply of high-quality, high-performance materials with the effective use of recycled resources.

In addition to using recycled raw materials in the smelting process, our Copper & Copper Alloy Products business actively utilizes a wide range of recycled materials, including in-process scrap, market-collected materials and materials recovered from customers. By applying advanced composition control and quality management technologies, we are able to maintain a stable supply of high-quality, high-performance copper and copper alloy products while using recycled raw materials, thereby contributing to the reduction of natural resource consumption and environmental impact.

Furthermore, to visualize our resource circulation initiatives as environmental value, we have established the CFP Digital Platform to calculate greenhouse gas emissions on a product-by-product basis for the main products of our Copper & Copper Alloy Products business. This system applies calculation methodologies that are consistent with relevant international standards and enables emissions to be calculated consistently from raw material procurement through manufacturing. In addition, the framework for CFP calculation and verification has obtained third-party certification, ensuring its reliability and transparency.

Through this platform, we support our customers in managing greenhouse gas emissions across their supply chains and responding to environmental information disclosure requirements. It also enables us to quantitatively demonstrate the use of recycled raw materials and the resulting reduction in environmental impact.

Going forward, we will continue to further strengthen collaboration among our smelting, Copper & Copper Alloy Products, and resource circulation operations. By promoting the effective use of recycled resources, the stable supply of high-performance products, and the visualization of product-level environmental impact information in an integrated manner, we will contribute to both the advancement of resource circulation and the transition toward carbon neutrality.