Logo

Do you know where your Manganese comes from?

We regularly read headlines about child labor or inhuman working conditions especially in low-income-countries. Whether it is Apple, Samsung and Sony getting their battery materials from artisanal cobalt mining in DRC that is accused of child labor, sourcing from low-wage countries always bears reputational risk.

In today’s world where sustainable business practices have become important for a company’s success, knowing where your raw materials come from is a crucial question.

Especially from a sustainable supply chain management perspective, it is of highest importance for every company to understand the source of their raw materials. Does the producer…

  • … work with high environmental standards?
  • … has strict safety standards and procedures?
  • … prohibit and refrain from any kind of child labor, forced labor and discrimination?
  • … has a quality management system such as ISO 9001 and environmental management such as ISO 14001?

But what about sustainability in the metal’s industry? Let’s look at the example of Manganese. Do you know where your Manganese metal is produced? Do you know the conditions that prevail there? Manganese is a key ingredient in the steel, casting and battery industries. China is by far the world’s largest producer of manganese metal. According to the International Manganese Institute, around 1.4 million tons of electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) are produced in China every year, which accounts for over 95% of the total world’s production. The large majority of EMM imports into the EU and North America come from China. But do you know where exactly your EMM comes from? The following chart shows the top 10 Manganese metal producers in China with their production volume in the month of December 2016.

Image: Top 10 Manganese metal producers in China December 2016

It is up to you to improve transparency in your supply chain but in reality  this is not always easy. At metalshub we are planning to promote suppliers which have implemented sustainable business practices. These suppliers and their practices and certifications will be clearly highlighted. So every purchasing organization has the information available to make the right choices. If you like our vision, join us!

Your metalshub team

Disclaimer: This blog is provided for information purposes only. While we do our best to provide you with the most correct information, metalshub cannot be held liable for any loss arising from any use of this information.
#metalshub #manganesemetal #manganese #china #sustainability
Logo

Company

Get to know us

Follow Us

© Metals Hub GmbH. All rights reserved.