Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)
What this logo on a product means
The aluminum in an ASI labelled product corresponds to an equivalent mass of ASI Aluminum produced by an unbroken chain of ASI Certified Entities through the supply chain.
ASI is the only responsible sourcing program that addresses practices along the full aluminum chain. This includes upstream production right through to downstream use sectors, such as packaging, transport, construction and engineering.
The ASI Aluminium logo on a product is the assurance of responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminum.
The ASI Standards address both performance (responsible production) and chain of custody (responsible sourcing).
Each of the companies in the value chain for ASI Aluminum have been independently certified against both the ASI Performance Standard and the ASI Chain of Custody Standard.
ASI Performance Standard
addresses:
- Governance, business integrity and transparency
- Material stewardship – recycling and resource efficiency
- Environment, including GHG, wastes, water and biodiversity
- Human rights, including supply chain due diligence and rights for Indigenous peoples
- Labour rights and occupational health and safety
ASI Chain of Custody Standard
addresses:
- Chain of Custody Systems
- What is Eligible for ASI
- Supply Chain Due Diligence
- Material Accounting, Documentation and Claims
What are the ASI standards?
The ASI Performance and Chain of Custody Standards set requirements for the responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminum. These two standards form the basis of the ASI Certification program.
ASI’s robust standards are the result of multi-stakeholder consensus-building within the ASI Standards Committee and input from technical Working Groups and open public consultation processes.
ASI Performance Standard
The ASI Performance Standard defines environmental, social and governance principles and criteria, which address a broad range of sustainability issues in the aluminum value chain.
The ASI Performance Standard defines 62 environmental, social and governance principles and criteria, with the aim to address sustainability issues in the aluminum value chain.
ASI Chain of Custody Standard
The ASI Chain of Custody Standard creates a link from company practices to responsible sourcing of products, by connecting Certified suppliers and customers and accounting for material flow.
The CoC Standard sets out requirements for the creation of a Chain of Custody for CoC Material, including ASI Aluminum, which is produced and processed through the value chain into diverse downstream sectors.
The ASI Mass Balance model
ASI’s Chain of Custody model is a mass balance approach. Under a Mass Balance System, the key internal controls involve:
- Determining which Inflows and/or Outflows are eligible as CoC Material
- Performing the relevant accounting and reconciliation over the defined period, to determine Inputs of CoC Material and how these can be allocated to Outputs
- Collecting and passing on relevant data for CoC Documents and related claims.
The ASI Mass Balance model allows the mixing of eligible Inputs of CoC Material (sourced from ASI certified Facilities) and Non-CoC Material inflows (sourced from Facilities that are not ASI certified) at any stage in the supply chain over a defined period.
This means that an ASI Chain of Custody Certified company (known as an Entity) can receive varying quantities of all CoC Material types over time. Quantities of material sold as CoC Outputs are then allocated proportionately to the mass of CoC Inputs, so there is no guarantee that a ‘certified product’ actually contains CoC Material at an atomic level.
Let’s imagine an ASI Entity and consider their CoC Inputs (purchases) and CoC Outputs (sales) over one year, which is the required accounting and reporting period. Their quantities of CoC Outputs (of ASI Material or Eligible Scrap) are determined by their CoC Input Percentage.
If, within one year, 50% of their total material was sourced from ASI certified Facilities (50% of CoC Input), then up to 50% of their total Output (and scrap, if applicable) can be designated and claimed as 100 % CoC Material. This percentage-based approach accounts for material losses during processing. Certified Entities use a ‘Material Accounting System’ according to the ASI Chain of Custody Standard to internally manage the mass balance model.
During an Audit, the Auditor verifies that the Entity has systems in place that conform to the ASI Chain of Custody Standard to source and/or supply CoC Material and/or Eligible Scrap and ensure that the Material Accounting System is implemented and functioning.
As a result, a claim about sourcing or volumes of ASI material must refer to the equivalent Output quantity or volume of ASI Aluminium sourced or produced by the Entity.