The Quebec government wants to quickly reopen the province’s economy, struck hard by Covid-19. In doing so, it is looking for ways to (i) accelerate the start of “shovel-ready” projects, (ii) encourage the use of Quebec products, and (iii) greenify the economy.

Canada produces approximately 5% of the world’s aluminum and the lion’s share of its aluminum industry is based in Quebec. Of Canada’s nine aluminum smelters, only one is not situated in Quebec.

Aluminum produced in Canada falls within the definition of low-carbon set by the London Mercantile Exchange (LME). In other words, it is produced using carbon-free electricity, in this case mostly hydroelectricity. Electricity accounts for between 30 and 40% of the cost of aluminum, so the source of the electricity has a material impact on the cost of the metal and its carbon footprint.

Aluminum is a material well understood and broadly used. According to the Aluminum Association of Canada, about 20% of Canada’s aluminum production is used for packaging, most of it by the food and beverage industry. Recyc-Quebec’s Indice du prix des matières states that aluminum is Quebec’s most valuable recycling material by a factor of 3. This is in large part due to the fact that aluminum is easy to recycle and the process uses 95% less electricity than producing it in the first place.

When comparing its carbon footprint to plastic, plastic does have a lower carbon footprint if aluminum is made using carbon-heavy electricity and is poorly recycled. However, when aluminum is made from carbon-free sources, as it is in Quebec, and is widely recovered for recycling, aluminum’s carbon footprint is more sustainable.

Under the circumstances it is surprising that Quebec has not mandated a transition to aluminum containers, especially at a time when the aluminum industry is asking that Quebec mandate the use of aluminum in other sectors, including construction.

Any such transition would be a win-win for the Quebec economy and the environment.