Alupro calls for stronger measures to keep recycled aluminium in the UK

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The Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has warned that large volumes of recycled aluminium continue to leave the UK, raising concerns about the long-term availability of the metal for domestic industries.

In a new industry manifesto, the organisation outlined a number of measures it believes could help increase the supply of recycled aluminium and strengthen the country's circular economy.

According to Alupro, sectors such as packaging, automotive, construction, transport, defence and energy infrastructure are expected to require more aluminium in the years ahead, making reliable supply increasingly important.

Tom Giddings, executive director of Alupro, said the UK needs to do more to keep recycled aluminium within the domestic supply chain rather than exporting it overseas.

The organisation is backing policies such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a nationwide Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and improvements to recycling systems to boost collection rates and increase the amount of aluminium available for reuse.

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However, the debate over scrap exports remains divided. Some recycling industry people are against strict export restrictions, saying that such measures could reduce scrap prices and create additional costs for recyclers.

Others believe more needs to be done to encourage aluminium collected in the UK to be recycled back into products for the domestic market.

The issue comes at a time when supply chain disruptions and market volatility are drawing greater attention to the availability of recycled materials. Industry groups have argued that stronger local recycling networks could help improve resilience and reduce dependence on international supply chains.

Alupro has also proposed closer cooperation between government and industry to examine ways of improving scrap classification, traceability and material retention across the aluminium sector.

The organisation said the ultimate goal is to increase recycling rates while ensuring that more recycled aluminium remains available to support UK manufacturing and future demand.

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