Hydro CIRCAL®

Reducing buildings operational emissions through high performance and circular products.

Aluminium as a material

Unique properties

Aluminium's properties of flexibility, lightness and strength make it the ideal material for almost any design challenge. It also possesses other highly sought-after qualities:

Healthy: It does not emit dust, vapour or particles, and contact with this material does not pose any toxicity problems.
Non-flammable: When it reaches its melting point in the event of fire (around 650°C), it does not give off any flammable gases or vapours.
Easy to maintain: Due to its durability and resistance to surface treatments, regular cleaning with a neutral detergent followed by rinsing with water is sufficient.

Ecological material by nature

Aluminium has characteristics that make it an environmentally friendly metal: abundant, indefinitely recyclable and therefore durable. Its quality and material properties are never lost. In addition, aluminum remelting uses only 5% of the energy required to produce primary aluminium.

Learn more about our Aluminium

Certified materials
SAPA profiles are extruded using low CO2 footprint aluminium. This is achieved by using renewable energy and by recycling aluminium from post-consumer scrap metal. This entire recycling process is certified by DNV-GL, Det Norske Veritas, an independent certification company heaquartered in Oslo, Norway and with 350 offices in over 100 countries around the world. The Hydro Group, to which SAPA belongs, has been the first company to be recognised by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), the internationally recognised standard for the evaluation of sustainability throughout the entire life cycle of aluminium, convering from when the metal was obtained, its production and use and up to recycling when the product has reached the end of its lifecycle.
Certified products
From the design, selection of materials and the way its produced, products must offer the benefits that the market needs while respecting the environment as much as possible. We classify our product range under the criteria of the Cradle to Cradle seal, and independent institute that certifies products and processes from a circularity perspective. We have several certified Cradle to Cradle seties, including the production at our plant in Miranda de Ebro in Spain. This way we can ensure that the carbon footprint is as low as possible when transporting our goods.
Certified buildings
LEED, BREEAM, WELL, and VERDE are some of the most recognised organisations for evaluating the sustainability and environmental impact of buildings. Among the most relevant requirements to obtain green building certifications are the credits provided by the materials chosen to be used. In additon to providing products that have a lower environmental impact, we can provide the certifications needed that contribute to the achievement of the various green building rating schemes available to you. These certifications include ISO certifications on quality and environemental management, official test certifications, Cradle to Cradle certifiations and more.

75% Recycled 95% Recyclable

The production of primary aluminium from bauxite extraction requires large amounts of energy with current industrial processes. This results in significant CO₂ emissions and is a direct contributor to climate change. By recycling aluminium scrap after a product’s end-of-life, the remelting process saves up to 95% of that energy while delivering a material with the same high quality as primary aluminium.

Using Hydro CIRCAL reduces the environmental impact

The consequence of using Hydro CIRCAL is a drastic reduction in CO₂ emissions — more than 85% compared to the global average for primary aluminium production. With just 1.9 kg CO₂ per kg of aluminium, Hydro CIRCAL currently has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any aluminium alloy on the market.

And it doesn’t stop there. The goal is to reduce the footprint even further by using an alloy made from 100% post-consumer recycled aluminium scrap.

Hydro CIRCAL® 75R, available as standard

Hydro CIRCAL® is the low-carbon aluminium alloy of our company, made with at least 75% recycled post-consumer scrap. This means the aluminium is sourced from end-of-life products, such as old facades or windows, which are recovered and recycled.

Hydro CIRCAL® 75R has a carbon footprint among the lowest in the world: 1.9 kg CO2e per kg of aluminium. Its carbon footprint is 80% of reduction vs the European primary average. The production and raw materials in Hydro CIRCAL® 75R can be traced on an individual batch level and is delivered with an Environmental Product Declaration and verification statement. With this low carbon aluminium, we can create high-quality, circular, and low-emission building products that meet the highest environmental standards.

Download EPD Hydro CIRCAL 75R

Hydro CIRCAL® 100R, recycled at 100%, available on request

Hydro CIRCAL® 100R is a breakthrough in sustainable aluminium - made with 100% recycled post-consumer scrap. It's our most advanced material, designed for projects where circularity and carbon reduction are a priority.

With an independently verified carbon footprint of less than 0.5kg CO²e per kg of aluminium, Hydro CIRCAL® 100R offers a 97% reduction compared to the global average for primary aluminium (14.8kg CO²e). It delivers premium performance with one of the lowest carbon footprints available worldwide.

Due to the technical complexity and careful sourcing required, Hydro CIRCAL® 100R is currently produced in limited, on-demand batches - ideal for future-thinking projects aiming to meet the highest environmental standards.

Download EPD Hydro CIRCAL 100R

Hydro CIRCAL - FAQ

Aluminium can be recycled endlessly without losing its quality or unique material properties, making it ideal for circular construction. Recycling aluminium requires 95% less energy than producing primary aluminium, drastically reducing carbon emissions and conserving natural resources.
Hydro CIRCAL® is a premium low-carbon aluminium alloy containing at least 75% recycled post-consumer scrap from end-of-life building products. Each batch is independently verified, ensuring traceability and transparency.

Hydro CIRCAL® 75R has a carbon footprint of 1.9 kg CO₂e per kg of aluminium, while Hydro CIRCAL® 100R – made from 100% recycled post-consumer scrap – achieves an exceptionally low footprint of just 0.5 kg CO₂e per kg of aluminium.
Hydro CIRCAL® significantly lowers embodied carbon by reusing end-of-life aluminium instead of relying on primary aluminium. The recycling and remelting process enables up to an 85% reduction in carbon emissions compared to the global average for primary aluminium when using Hydro CIRCAL® 75R.

For projects where low-carbon performance is critical, Hydro CIRCAL® 100R is available on request, achieving a carbon footprint as low as 0.5 kg CO₂ per kg of aluminium.
Hydro CIRCAL® 75R contains at least 75% recycled post-consumer aluminium, is fully traceable, independently verified, and available as standard. It’s suitable for large-scale use with a carbon footprint of 1.9 kg CO₂e per kg of aluminium.

Hydro CIRCAL® 100R is made from 100% recycled post-consumer aluminium, achieving the lowest footprint on the market at <0.5 kg CO₂e per kg of aluminium. It is produced in small batches and is ideal for projects targeting maximum carbon reduction.
By using recycled low-carbon aluminium, SAPA – alongside the rest of Hydro Building Systems – has achieved a reduction of more than 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ since 2018. This highlights the long-term impact of circular design and responsible sourcing across the product range.

Why is aluminium considered a key material for sustainable and circular construction?

What makes Hydro CIRCAL® aluminium different from other recycled aluminium?

How does Hydro CIRCAL® help reduce the carbon footprint of construction projects?

What is the difference between Hydro CIRCAL® 75R and Hydro CIRCAL® 100R?

How much progress has SAPA made in reducing carbon emissions through recycled materials?