China Hongqiao Group’s subsidiary bags ASI Performance Standard Certification for producing aluminium ingot from scrap

On Friday, March 1, the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced that it successfully certified Shandong Hongqiao Scholz Circular Economy Science & Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Hongqiao Group Co., Ltd., against Performance Standard V3 (2022) Certification. 

This certification is a testimony of the facility’s sustainable production of aluminium ingot and liquid metal by re-melting scrap. The plant’s pre-treatment and crushing lines currently dismantle 40,000 scrapped vehicles and produce 200,000 tonnes of recycled aluminium annually. 

The ASI Performance Standard V3 (2022) includes 11 principles and 62 criteria under three sustainable pillars – Environment, Social, and Governance – with the aim to address pressing sustainability issues in the aluminium value chain.

China Hongqiao Group’s subsidiary received the certification after an independent, third-party audit carried out by DNV Business Assurance Services UK Ltd.

Brian Yao, General Manager of Shandong Hongqiao Scholz Circular Economy Science & Technology Co., Ltd., said: “We are honored that Shandong Hongqiao Scholz Circular Economy Science & Technology Co., Ltd. has been certified against the ASI Performance Standard. Our company leverages sophisticated technologies for dismantling scrapped vehicles, automating metal crushing and sorting, and ensuring the purity and reusability of recycled aluminum. Benefiting from China Hongqiao Group’s resource base and Scholz Group’s expertise in industrial information management, our vertically integrated approach not only recycles but also remanufactures valuable materials. We are committed to nurturing talent and fostering innovation, focusing on delivering high-value products and comprehensive solutions. As we advance towards a digital and intelligent future in resource recycling, we aim to establish a substantial domestic platform for trading recycled materials, including scrap cars and aluminum. This initiative is a critical step in enhancing the recycling segment of Binzhou’s aluminum industry chain, furthering the region’s and China’s move towards a more circular economy.”

Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, commented: “We congratulate Shandong Hongqiao Scholz Circular Economy Science & Technology Co., Ltd., subsidiary of China Hongqiao Group, on achieving Performance Standard Certification V3 (2022). The company’s operations play an important role in the task of recycling scrap cars in China where, in the context of China’s robust automotive market, effective recycling is both environmentally sound and economically necessary. Turning scrap into valuable material in a circular model is essential to reducing the carbon intensity of aluminium and exemplifies how recycling can be smart business in a resource-intensive industry. Their ASI Certification demonstrates that the company’s sustainability journey is not only about reduced GHG emissions, but also addresses a broad range of ESG issues.”