Aluminum Dynamics pulls the plug on Benson aluminium recycling plant

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Mississippi-based flat-rolled aluminium manufacturer Aluminum Dynamics Inc. has announced its withdrawal from the aluminium recycling project at Benson, Arizona. The official announcement has come after months of slowed progress on the project of a 200-acre area previously reserved for the establishment of an aluminium recycling facility.

Aluminum Dynamics had planned to construct a large recycling slab facility that would process scrap aluminium and support the company's downstream operations.

The official statement released by the company noted, “Due to differences with some Arizona state officials that risked the construction and operations of the facility in Benson, Arizona, Aluminum Dynamics, Inc. has decided not to move forward with construction of the recycling slab centre in Benson, Arizona.”

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The environmental angle

Although the construction had begun a few months ago, the project became one of Benson's most debated development proposals, sparking public meetings, community campaigns and heightened scrutiny of the approval process.

Groups argued that the facility's scale and industrial footprint were incompatible with the area's residential and environmental priorities. Local resident Misty Bloom regarded the welfare of “children, grandchildren and the elders of this community” as a factor of concern in the matter, spurring a year-long pushback from residents.

Mark Boyle, a Benson City Council member, observed that the plant construction activities had “slowed down for almost two months,” indicating the anticipated closure of the project.

While Aluminum Dynamics maintained that the plant would operate under environmental regulations and contribute to the circular economy through aluminium recycling, community concerns continued to intensify. The debate also spilt into local politics, with the project becoming a central issue in municipal elections and involving city officials.

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The employment angle

While residents highlighted environmental concerns, the opinion remains mixed as another group expresses local employment concerns.

Mark Lujan, a Cochise County resident and an employee at an East Coast company, was contracted to “lay the foundation” at the facility site. However, the instruction to “hold off on the job for two weeks” brought about the loss of project momentum. The eventual stoppage of work led to the termination of the contract, spreading the ripple effect of job loss as well.

The company's decision to step away from the project effectively concludes a chapter that has drawn significant attention across Arizona's industrial and recycling sectors.

The withdrawal removes one of the largest proposed recycling investments from the region's development pipeline.

With the pullback by Aluminum Dynamics, which might set up the aluminium recycling plant elsewhere, the scope for employment generation in Benson is weakened, while “People in Benson need more jobs. It’s hard to find jobs here,” as noted by Lujan.

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