Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Purpose & Values
The drive for innovation and continuous improvement is at the heart of our purpose
Business Strategy
Climate change is at the heart of our business strategy
We are 150
150 years of finding better ways
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
Iron ore is the primary raw material used to make steel
7 things the world will need for a low-carbon future
Wind, sun and water – what else do you need to make renewable energy work?
Sustainability – the expectation, not the exception
Shaping our aluminium product offering to meet demand for greener metals
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Look inside a mine of the future
Our most intelligent mine yet is pioneering new mining technologies
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Sustainability Reporting 2022
We have a responsibility to extract the full value from the minerals and materials we produce in the safest and most sustainable way possible
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Tailings
We’ve launched a new interactive map of our tailings facilities
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Results
Half Year Results 2023 released 26 July
Get the latest news, stories and updates
Nammuldi rock shelter
Our statement on the Nammuldi rock shelter
Fuelling our tanks with renewable diesel
Diesel made from renewable raw materials is helping us reduce emissions
Rio Tinto commits $150 million to Centre for Future Materials led by Imperial College London
Discover more about life at Rio Tinto
Graduates & Students
If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it
Empowering families with flexibility
Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
Available jobs
Join our team
Aluminium undergoes a huge transformation from a red bauxite rock to the metal found everywhere in life.
It’s mined, refined and smelted. It travels on trucks and ships – sometimes thousands of kilometres. And finally, it’s shaped into everything from cans to cars. So, through all of that – how can you be confident the product you’ve just bought was made responsibly?
Understanding – and being able to trace – the full process is important as more and more consumers seek out products made sustainably. In fact, research by Deloitte suggests ethical and sustainability issues are a key driver for almost a third of consumers.
We sat down with Paramita Das, General Manager, Global Marketing and Development in our Aluminium business, about START – a tool providing traceable transparent information about products containing our aluminium.
We created START to help our customers – and the consumers who buy their products – make informed decisions. Our goal is to support increased transparency and traceability across the aluminium supply chain."
Ed: Paramita, thanks for your time. How did START come about?
Paramita: People want to know more about the products they buy, where they come from and how they were made. This is true for food, clothes – and aluminium products are no exception. So, we created START to help our customers – and the consumers who buy their products – make informed decisions. Our goal is to support increased transparency and traceability across the aluminium supply chain.
Ed: It’s been described as a nutrition label for aluminium. Can you tell us a little about how it works?
Paramita: We use blockchain technology to trace every step in the production process – from where the bauxite is mined to the end products they’re made into.
Each aluminium order is assigned a unique QR code, which customers can print on their products. By scanning the code, you will be taken to a web page that details the complete journey from the ground to the finished product.
The information is really easy to get. Just a quick scan of a QR code on an aluminium drink can or a new electric car and you can see the credentials of the metal used.
Like a “nutrition label” for aluminium, key information is provided across 10 criteria for Rio Tinto aluminium from mine to market:
More
Global warming potential, water management, renewable energy, recycled content, waste management, safety performance, contribution to communities, supplier due diligence, governance systems and diversity.
Through secure blockchain technology you can see where your aluminium comes from, how it was made, and the environmental, social and governance standards followed during its production.
Ed: How do we assure the data in START? Is it independently verified?
Paramita: The information used in START is collected as part of our annual sustainability reporting.
Each of our sites provides data that is verified by internal subject matter experts, and then reviewed by our Group Health, Safety, Environment & Security and Communities & Social Performance teams as a second line of assurance. It is also reviewed by the Board’s Sustainability Committee, and an external auditor assures the greenhouse gas emissions information.
The blockchain itself also adds a level of security because it’s like a digital record-keeping system. It collects information and stores it in “blocks” which are all connected. Every time new information is collected, it is stored chronologically with time stamps, so information can’t be changed.
Ed: How does it differ from other assurance initiatives, like the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) which we’re already part of?
Paramita: We see it as building on the existing assurance systems, like ASI.
With increased scrutiny on the origin of materials and on climate change, we believe START will help customers respond to growing consumer expectations. Our goal is to demonstrate to customers and consumers that our responsibly produced and traceable aluminium is the right material for their needs.
By tracing the steps from START to finish
Ed: How has the take up been?
Paramita: The response has been overwhelmingly positive – we’ve had more than 100 customers sign up across all geographic markets, and we’re only six months into the programme.
It’s also exciting for our employees to see us trying new things in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) space. As a Rio employee I feel proud my company sees ESG as integral to its products.
Ed: Are there any plans to expand this concept beyond aluminium to other Rio Tinto products?
Paramita: We’re moving towards digitising a lot of our commercial activities.
In 2019, our Iron Ore business used blockchain to make the first fully integrated paperless trade, streamlining the process from six days to one. And then with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it highlighted the importance of digital tools in our supply chain. It wasn’t always possible for people to physically sign documents or personally receive hard copy documents, for example.
In the past year we introduced Rio Track, which allows customers to view their shipments in real time. And we also launched the Rio Portside WeChat app, which allows customers to buy iron ore on their phones – a first for the industry.
Blockchain really does open a lot of possibilities to help our customers make informed and faster decisions about what materials they want to use in their products.
Stronger and more sustainable
Revolutionising the way aluminium is made
Responsibly produced and soon to be recycled too
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With the exception of the use of cookies, Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
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As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of our Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
Part 1 of this Privacy Policy contains the Rio Tinto Data Privacy Standard, which provides an overview of Rio Tinto’s approach to personal data processing. There is additional information in the appendices to the Data Privacy Standard, including information about disclosures, trans-border data transfers, the exercise of data subject rights and how to make complaints or obtain further information relating to Rio Tinto’s processing of your personal data.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us at digital.comms@riotinto.com).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
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As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of this Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
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