Circular Economy & Platinum Group Metals
Building Europe's critical materials independence, one catalyst at a time.
The future of platinum group metals isn't underground – it's already here, embedded in millions of spent catalytic converters across Europe. At Refinis, we're not just recycling metals; we're fundamentally reshaping how Europe secures its most critical industrial resources.
The Strategic Challenge
Europe's platinum group metals dependency is a hidden vulnerability. Over 70% of our platinum, palladium, and rhodium comes from just two countries – South Africa and Russia – creating supply chain risks that ripple through automotive, electronics, chemical, and hydrogen industries worth hundreds of billions of euros annually.
Meanwhile, over 15 million vehicles reach end-of-life in Europe every year, each carrying catalytic converters loaded with these same critical metals. The math is compelling: instead of mining new resources from increasingly difficult deposits, we can recover high-grade materials from urban sources right here in Europe.
The Circular Opportunity
Secondary recovery already supplies 20-30% of global platinum group metal demand – and this percentage is growing rapidly. Unlike virgin mining, which requires processing 200 tonnes of ore to recover 1 kilogram of platinum, recycling delivers the same results from just 1 tonne of spent catalysts.
The environmental benefits are equally dramatic:
87% less energy consumption compared to primary mining
Dramatically reduced CO₂ emissions from eliminating mining, transportation, and processing of virgin ore
Zero environmental disruption from mining operations
Complete elimination of mining waste streams and tailings
But the real opportunity is economic resilience. Every kilogram of platinum group metals we recover in Europe is a kilogram we don't need to import, creating price stability and supply security for European industries.
Technology Enabling Transformation
Modern catalyst recycling isn't the crude smelting of decades past. Advanced plasma furnace technology, like our system at Refinis, can recover available platinum group metals while meeting the strictest environmental standards. Precise temperature control, sophisticated emission management, and real-time process monitoring deliver both maximum yield and minimal environmental impact.
This technological evolution makes large-scale urban mining economically viable. The concentration of platinum group metals in spent catalysts often exceeds that of virgin ore deposits, making recycling not just environmentally superior but economically advantageous.
Europe's Circular Materials Strategy
The European Union's Critical Raw Materials Act specifically identifies platinum group metals as strategic materials requiring enhanced recycling capabilities. The goal is clear: reduce import dependency while building circular supply chains that keep critical materials in continuous use.
Facilities like Refinis directly support this strategy by:
