Novelis aims to become "World's Largest Recycler"

Aluminum products maker Novelis Inc. plans to become the world's largest recycler and is on track to boost its use of recycled aluminum to 50% of raw material by 2020, President and Chief Executive Phil Martens said Tuesday at the American Metal Market Aluminum Summit in New York.

The company will increase the capacity of its recycling plant in Germany from 1.2 million metric tons to 2.1 million metric tons per year in 2015, Mr. Martens said.

The expansion will make the plant the "largest integrated recycling system in the world," Mr. Martens said. "We will become the world's largest recycler, not just of beverage cans but of all aluminum," he said.

The company will also expand its recycling capacity in China to 120,000 metric tons per year by 2015.

Novelis is owned by Hindalco Industries Ltd. (500440.BY), India's largest aluminum producer.

The company has created a beverage can made of entirely recycled material, he said, as part of its efforts to establish a "closed-loop recycling system."

Novelis hopes to eventually use only recycled content in its products in Europe and South America.

Novelis is also making headway with its sustainability and recycling goals, Mr. Martens said. The company has increased its recycled content from 33% in 2010 to 39% in 2012 and is on track to achieve its goals of 50% recycled content in 2015 and 80% by 2020.

The company plans to eliminate landfill waste entirely by 2020 and also intends to lower its energy usage by 39%, cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half and decrease water usage by 25%, Mr. Martens said.