Europe’s recycled aluminium industry is an important component of the global secondary aluminium supply chain, with Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom (UK) representing key national markets. Production across the European region stood at nearly 6 million tonnes in 2023, supported by established scrap recovery systems, industrial recycling capacity and demand for recycled metal. Russia also contributes to the regional landscape through secondary aluminium production units concentrated in several industrial centres. According to AL Circle’s analysis in its report, “ World Recycled ALuminium Market Analysis Industry Forecast ”, the four countries present different market structures, from Germany’s substantial recycling capacity and Italy’s scrap-based production to the UK’s organised...
According to SMM survey statistics, the operating rate of the secondary aluminium alloy industry in September was 35.0 per cent, up 3.1 percentage points M-o-M but down 6.7 percentage points Y-o-Y. Industry production continued its recovery trend, but the overall operating level remained below the same period last year. On the demand side, September marked the traditional peak consumption season, with downstream orders recovering from August. End-use demand from automobiles and other sectors improved marginally, but the peak season effect has yet to fully materialise. According to CAAM data, automobile production in September was 2.99 million units, up 11.4 per cent M-o-M but down 8.7 per cent Y-o-Y. NEV production was 1.814 million units, up 12.2 per cent Y-o-Y. CAAM noted that China's...
Grow with
AL Circle
The U.S. aluminum industry purchased1 an estimated 775 million pounds of aluminum scrap during March 2015, according to aluminum recycling statistics published by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Interior, up five-tenths of one percent over the March 2014 total of 771 million. USGS estimates that recovery of aluminum and aluminum alloys totaled 661 million pounds, an increase of 1.3 percent year-over-year. Through March, preliminary data indicate that recovery of aluminum from scrap totaled an estimated 1,980 million pounds, up 4.2 percent over the 2014 YTD total of 1,900 million. U.S. exports of scrap, not included in the government’s consumption statistics, totaled 717 million pounds YTD, down 18.8 percent from the same period in 2014. Scrap exports totaled 291million pounds in...
Ball Corp. has been designing aluminium aerosol cans with recycled aluminium for Henkel Beauty Care for quite some time. Recently, Ball Corp. and Henkel Beauty Care have introduced an even lighter-weight version of ReAl, the aerosol can used for Henkel's Fa beauty care brand. Ball Corporation's technology has utilized recycled aluminum to create a metal alloy that is characterized by enhanced strength and extra light weight. Despite being lightweight, the companies claim that the can has not compromised on package quality and integrity. Ball's ReAl was launched in 2014, to replace the standard aluminum aerosol can used for Henkel’s Fa beauty care brand. It included 25% recycled material and provided an 11% lighter package. The latest version contains almost the same amount of recycled...
The board of directors for Cranford, New Jersey-based Metalico Inc., which operates scrap metal recycling facilities primarily in the eastern Great Lakes corridor, has agreed to sell the company to Total Merchant Ltd. for a total purchase price of approximately $87 million. According to a news release issued by Metalico, the all-cash deal includes a payment of 60 cents to Metalico’s stockholders for each share of the company’s common stock they own as of the closing date. The price includes roughly $44 million for Metalico’s outstanding equity plus the cost of retiring the company’s primary term and institutional senior and convertible debt, estimated at approximately $45 million, and the assumption of approximately $16 million of additional debt as of June 15, 2015. Total Merchant is an...
The latest report released by the Aluminum Association in partnership with Can Manufacturers Institute for the year 2014 indicates that consumer recycling rate during the year touched 56.7%- the highest recorded rate since 1997. The report notes that cans are being recycled at the highest rates due to the high value of aluminum compared to other packaging materials. According to the report, the aluminum industry recycling rate remained essentially flat at 66.5% in 2014. The rate represents amount of used aluminum can scrap, including imported and exported cans that get recycled as a percentage of U.S. shipments. The consumer recycling rate for aluminum cans was up nearly 2 points to 56.7% during 2014, when compared with the rate of 54.9% in 2013. The recycling rate is the highest over the...
In recognition of its steadfast commitment to protecting the eco-system, Sohar Aluminium (SA) was honored by the Arab Organization for Social Responsibility for its environmental excellence during the recent Best Environmental Initiatives Awards held in the United Arab Emirates. The Arab Organization for Social Responsibility presented SA with the prestigious accolade for demonstrating its deeply rooted environmental ethos within its world-class operations as well as the wider community. The recognized initiatives included SA's exceptional Waste Management Strategy, the Sohar Aluminium Coral Reef Cleaning Campaign which was led by 35 volunteers from SA to clean reefs of Khor Al Siyabi, Al Suwaihra, Ghail Al Shubool, Al Uwainat and Majazz as well as the highly successful Sohar Battery...
United Kingdom-based Enval Limited has developed a technology which allows the recyclable foil to be extracted from laminate packaging like food and drink pouches, pet food pouches and toothpaste tubes. The firm's factory is now ready to undertake commercial waste recycling, and it has launched a crowd-funding campaign on Cambridge-based platform SyndicateRoom as it looks to raise £800,000 to fund further growth. Enval was born out of a research project at Cambridge University's department of chemical engineering which turned out to be a commercially viable project. Carlos Ludlow-Palafox is the founder and managing director of Enval. He said: "We've been using the factory in our commercial business about a month now, so we've accompished what we initially wanted to do, but now we want to...
The Coca Cola-Keep America Beautiful Recycling Bin Grant Program has awarded additional 5,300 recycling bins to promote convenient recycling among communities. The new bins allotted through the grant will serve communities in 41 states across the country. The Bin Grant Program will provide 3,662 recycling bins to colleges and universities. Additionally, 1638 bins will be awarded to local governments and non-profit organizations. According to the Coca-Cola Foundation, 66% of the granted bins will be placed permanently in public places such as athletic fields, K-12 schools, fairs and festivals, special events and parks, aimed at increasing accessibility of recycling bins to general public. The remaining 44% of the bins will be places in college residence halls to boost recycling among...
Huang Chung-Sheng, the chairman of Yechiu Metal Recycling (China), and wife have become a billionaire couple from a run-up in the stock price of their Shanghai-listed recycled aluminum company. Huang and Lin Sheng Chih own 47% of Yechiu Metal Recycling, a stake worth $1.1 billion at Wednesday’s closing price of 23.13 yuan. That estimate includes dividends and share disposals. The Taiwan entrepreneurs are among more than 100 new billionaires and billionaire families to arise from a China stock rally that has more than doubled overall prices in the past year but stirred concern of a huge bubble. Yechiu’s shares have increased by more than 200% in the past 12 months. Huang founded a smelting business in Malaysia in the 1980s before expanding into China. Xiang Guangming, chairman of China’s...
Collect-a-Can urges all schools to take their eco-conscious spirit to the next level and enter the popular National Schools Competition that runs annually from 1 February to 31 October. Schools that have already entered are hard at work in collecting as many used cans as possible to stand a chance to win their share of R788 800. The competition teaches learners that recycling and taking care of the environment can be fun, while providing schools with an exciting opportunity to raise additional funds for their school. Larger schools are awarded for collecting the most cans per school, while the second category (a category for schools with less than 500 learners) recognises smaller schools that collect the most cans per learner. This competition encourages schools to collect all sorts of...
As the population of UAE grows, so does the waste generated by the Emirates, said experts from Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) on Tuesday. EAD has released a booklet named 'Sustainable Waste Management for Organisations' that highlights the benefits of reusing materials, reducing waste and recycling end products to help UAE become more proactive in developing environmental practices. Although much of this waste is generated from demolition and construction sites, packaging too is a major contributor, adding 70 tons of waste each month according to Linden Coppell, Head of Sustainability at Etihad. "This is bundled and sent for recycling, together with nearly 30 tonnes per month of in-flight newspapers and magazines. In addition, about 25 tonnes of glass items, primarily bottles, are...
Waste materials like thermocol, plastic carry bags below 50 microns and aluminium food packets will turn into handicrafts thanks to a pilot project taken up by eCoexist and Studio Alternatives as part of the 'Green Idea' scheme supported by the state government. eCoexist and Studio Alternatives will launch a seven-day drive to collect thermocol, thin plastic carry bags and aluminium food packets from June 5. The project is a pilot experiment to design handcrafted items that can be made by underprivileged groups to help them earn supplementary income or solve some of their own basic housing issues. A statement issued by Manisha Gutman said that Dhara Kabaria, designer and founder of Studio Alternatives, has done postgraduate research in Design from Waste from the Kent Institute of Art and...
Obligation data indicating the amount of packaging waste producers will have to recycle in 2015 has confirmed there could be a challenge in meeting demand for aluminium PRNs. The figures – which are subject to change as more producers submit market data – have been published by the Environment Agency and are available on the National Packing Waste Database. The data suggests that once aluminium tonnages carried over from 2014 are taken into account, reprocessors will have to recycle 68,119 tonnes of aluminium packaging in 2015. When compared to the performance in the first quarter of 2015, when 14,956 tonnes was recycled (22% of the obligation), this means that performance in the remaining quarters will have to improve in order for the target to be met. Some industry experts have claimed...
California’s recycling regulators are trying to put the lid on out-of-state fraud and have busted two accused illegal haulers in the last two months, officials say. Investigators with the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery staked out a recycling center in Phoenix on May 12 and watched workers load about 10 tons of aluminum and plastic onto a semi-truck bound for the Golden State. In California, consumers are charged a 5- or 10-cent fee when they buy drinks in aluminum cans or plastic bottles. The state incentivizes recycling by allowing people to recoup money if they return the containers to a recycling center, depending on its California Refund Value. Out-of-state consumers and containers are ineligible. On a small scale, the money is pocket change. But for heavy-duty...
The North American Aluminum scrap prices declined on ScrapMonster Price Index as on May 27th, Wednesday. 1100 Scrap prices declined by $0.01 per Lb. The prices of 3003 Scrap too fell $0.01 per Lb. A down move of $0.01 per Lb was witnessed in 356 Aluminum Wheels and 6063 Extrusions/Fe. Meantime, prices of 5052 Scrap and 6061 Extrusions too dropped by $0.01 per Lb. 6063 Extrusions witnessed a decline of $0.01 per Lb over the day. The prices of Al/Cu Radiators and Al/Cu Radiators/Fe were down by $0.01 per Lb each. Aluminum Radiators went down by $0.01 per Lb each. Aluminum Radiators/Fe, Aluminum Transformers and Breakage 50% Recovery prices remained flat on 27th May.
The Japan-based manufacturing conglomerate Showa Denko (SDK), along with its various divisions, collected about 5.24 million used aluminum cans (UBCs) for recycling last year. SDK’s Showa Aluminum Can Corp., a subsidiary of Showa Denko, began its annual aluminum can recycling campaign more than 40 years ago. Since its start, the company's aluminum can recycling program has expanded and now covers 98 percent of SDK’s employees in Japan. The UBCs collected through the program are used primarily by Showa Aluminum Can Corp., which recycles the UBCs back into aluminum cans. In addition to aluminum Showa Denko manufactures and markets chemical products serving fields ranging from heavy industry to the electronic and computer industries. SDK makes petrochemicals (ethylene, propylene), aluminum...
The European Commission on May 28 launched a 12-week public consultation on the main policy options which it says will feed into the development of an “ambitious new approach” on the circular economy. According to the Commission, stakeholders’ views will be put towards the preparation of a revised proposal on the waste review and a new action plan for a “competitive” circular economy, which will be presented before the end of 2015. The policy options will look at waste policy “and beyond” and address the full product lifecycle, the Commission said, including actions on intelligent product design, reuse and repair or products, recycling, sustainable consumption, recycling levels, smart use of raw materials, stronger markets for secondary raw materials and “specific sectorial measures”....
Chinese aluminium scrap prices stayed stable on Scrap Register Price Index as on Wednesday, while aluminium futures prices at Shanghai Futures Exchange traded down. According to the Scrap Register Price Index, the major Chinese aluminium scrap commodities like 6063 10-10 extrusion, aluminium, aluminium can, EC wire (Al >99%) remained flat on Wednesday. However, the most active August aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange settled down by 45 yuan per ton to 13,220 yuan per ton on Wednesday from the previous close of 13,265 yuan per ton. The SHFE aluminium prices touched an intra-day high of 13,250 yuan per ton and an intra-day low of 13,185 yuan per ton during Wednesday. Aluminium futures prices at Shanghai Futures Exchange at its weakest in a year on rising supplies....
A study undertaken by Cranfield University has found there are huge deposits of valuable metals in landfill sites. Scientists analysed samples from up to 30 metres deep from four different landfill sites. After removing large objects, the samples were analysed for the content of rare earth metals and other valuable metals. Around £5 million worth of the rare earth metal neodymium is estimated to be in just the four landfill sites, while £92 million of palladium is expected to be buried in the sampled sites. The combined value of copper and aluminium in the four landfill sites is estimated to be worth £260 million. Cranfield University scientists Dr Stuart Wagland and Dr Frédéric Coulon worked on the study. Stuart Wagland said: “There is clearly potential value in our landfills,...
