Metal materials are strategic resources for the development of human society. In the context of decreasing domestic mineral resources and the intensification of international resource competition, the sustainable development of metal materials is necessary to ensure the safety of China's resources and meet the needs of industry. As the second largest metal material, aluminum alloy is the most valuable metal material for recycling due to its good corrosion resistance, low pollution and low energy consumption. In the sustainable development of aluminum alloys, there is a problem of recovery from degradation. From the perspective of recovery and regeneration, measures for fine sorting and strengthening purification and impurity removal are proposed. Considering the cycle of the whole life cycle, the future design direction and the service process of aluminum alloys are reviewed. Finally, the future sustainable development of aluminum alloys is proposed, hoping to provide a reference for the implementation of strategies for the sustainable development of aluminum alloy metal materials.