Re-Usage of Big Butts

The financial crises affected many businesses in 2011, including those in the primary aluminumAluminum sector. Since then, industries have had to reinvent themselves to reduce costs and innovate waste reduction practices. This study analyzes the current state of gross consumption of anodesAnode at ALBRASALBRAS—Alumínio Brasileiro S.A. to systematize flows that help to reduce the consumption of anodeAnode pieces through the reuse of big buttsBig Butt of anodesAnode with a few days of consumption and the ability to replace a new one without contaminating the liquid metal with ironIron. Big buttsBig Butt’ use drives the reduction of the company's consumption of gross carbonGross carbon and commitment to be more sustainable and brings reductions in variable costs. The project started in November 2022 in a pilot line and was expanded to all lines in January 2023. Until June 2023, 669 pieces of big buttsBig Butt were reused, reducing around 2,85 kgC/tAl in gross carbonGross carbon consumption.