Benjamin Pope, Senior VP of Operations and Commercial Development at Sortera Technologies, brings over two decades of expertise in non-ferrous metals, especially aluminium. With a deep understanding of aluminium processes and markets, he drives innovations that enhance recycling efficiency and promote aluminium circularity.

In an interview for “Sustainability & Recycling: Aluminium's Dual Commitment” e-Magazine, Pope delves into how Sortera Technologies is revolutionising aluminium recycling through advanced, AI-driven sorting systems capable of identifying alloys at the end-of-life stage. It highlights the growing importance of precise sortation in boosting scrap utilisation, reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainability goals across the aluminium value chain.

AL Circle: With aluminium recycling gaining momentum, do you anticipate stronger demand for sorting machines? How is your technology contributing to advancing the efficiency and precision of the sorting process?

Benjamin Pope: Yes, sortation will be in high demand for years to come. The strong demand is driven by the profitability of consuming scrap versus melting primary aluminium. Aluminium growth is driving the need for sortation, and consumer packaging and transportation are leading this growth trend.

The sortation of end-of-life materials is a new frontier in sorting. Previous technologies could separate heavy metals from light metals, but not by form and alloy. Sortera is focusing on sorting to an alloy level for maximum value and enabling a more closed loop for various aluminium products.

Sortera utilises a multi-sensor solution for mixed materials paired with dynamic software that collects prolific data to create alloy-level aluminium products. Sorting end-of-life aluminium scrap is a challenging problem. Materials from various industries - transportation, building and construction, and consumer packaging - are all commingled and require a dynamic sorting  solution for upcycling the materials. Sortera is advancing this solution by owning and operating sortation facilities to provide a complete solution.

AL Circle: Does better sorting eventually leads to achieving sustainability goals by enhancing the quality of the recycled aluminium? 

Benjamin Pope: Yes, better sorting leads to higher scrap consumption, which reduces carbon and minimises high-cost alternative materials for the aluminium industry. As scrap is sorted to the alloy level, customers begin enjoying lower alloying costs and higher recoveries while increasing the throughput of their melting capacity.

AL Circle: How do you see policies like CBAM, ESG commitments, or stricter recycling regulations influencing demand for sorting technology? 

Benjamin Pope: Regulation is a part of all industries; some regulations come and go over time. Sustainable recycling in the aluminium space is profitable, so the increase in scrap demand will continue. The growth of new aluminium products versus the supply of aluminium scrap is not balanced, which will also pressure the need for sortation to optimise the scrap that is available over the next few decades.

To read the complete interview, click here.