Book excerpt: Energy and sustainability are critical factors for economic development, and this comprehensive reference provides a detailed overview and fundamental analysis of sustainability issues associated with the aluminum industry. This publication brings together articles on the concepts and application of life-cycle assessments that benchmark aluminum-industry efforts towards sustainable development. Chapters provide energy-use data for primary and secondary aluminum production and processing along with future energy saving opportunities in aluminum processing. Life-cycle assessments provide basic, factual, information on the modeling of material flow in the industry, its products, and most importantly energy savings involved with recycling. Coverage includes various scrap sorting technologies and the positive impact of lightweight aluminum in transportation and infrastructure.