Aluminium’s trade map is no longer drawn by smelters alone. Scrap flows, power contracts, industrial policy and specialist grades now shape who secures metal, at what cost and under whose rules. Ten recent developments across Europe, the US, Australia, Japan and Mexico show how recycling, energy and regulation are becoming the new levers of aluminium competitiveness. They also show where traders, exporters and policymakers may need to adjust. Scrap tug-of-war: the US pull, Europe’s leak and the recycling base at stake The pull starts with price. The US UBC scrap benchmark averaged USD 2,322.89 a tonne in July, USD 2,491.22 in August and USD 2,602.51 in September. That is a 12 per cent climb, and it came after a July that opened at USD 2,464.98 and fell to USD 2,270.76 within two days....
Nespresso is expanding its aluminium coffee capsule recycling network across New Zealand, adding 25 JB Hi-Fi stores as collection points and bringing the total number of participating retail locations to 138. The move gives coffee drinkers more places to return used capsules, helping make recycling a little easier after that final, satisfying sip. The new collection points join existing locations at Briscoes and Noel Leeming stores. The expansion also complements other return options available through Nespresso, including its boutiques, public collection points, NZ Post drop-off locations and courier collections from customers’ homes. The aim is to make returning used capsules more convenient, recognising that a single collection method will not work for everyone. For those who enjoy...
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The Aluminum Association is pleased to announce the addition of our newest member, Aginzo Consulting Group. Aginzo will join the Association as an Associate member; Associate members are firms providing direct services to companies involved in the production or recycling of aluminum. Eugene Farago, Managing Partner and the official representative of Aginzo, said, "Aginzo and its team are very excited to be joining the Aluminum Association. As a firm focused solely on metals and the metals' industry, joining the Aluminum Association gives us the ability to work and interact with a unique subset of the metals' industry. Working with the aluminum industry provides great opportunities to be part of an industry focused on sustainability." Aginzo provides consulting and information technology...
Recycling is not only good for the planet, but good for your wallet too. According to the Aluminum Association, Americans earn nearly $1 billion a year from recycling aluminum cans, yet nearly another $1 billion worth of aluminum cans are still tossed into landfills. As national sponsors of America Recycles Day on November 15, Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation are providing tools on its recycling website to make it easier for Americans to recycle. The website is loaded with ideas on how to turn cans into treasure--from a free Aluminate iPhone app that helps users set and track financial recycling goals, to a turnkey toolkit that provides steps for planning a recycling campaign to raise money for charity. "Increased recycling can also be a job creator," said Beth Schmitt, Director of Recycling...
Daiki Aluminium Industry Co. Ltd. produces and sells aluminum alloy products in Japan and internationally. The company offers secondary aluminum alloy ingots that are used for die-casting, casting, deoxidation, and rolling; secondary aluminum ingots, which are used for roll products; and aluminum mother alloy ingots. It also engages in the design, construction, and repair of aluminum smelting furnaces. The company was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Osaka, Japan.
MHM Metals (ASX: MHM) has reached a milestone in the development of its aluminium waste recycling technology by securing a contract for the supply of feedstock to its first U.S. salt slag and black dross processing facility. The company's first overseas contract is for five years and has been structured as a tolling arrangement, where a fixed price per tonne is charged to the customer with MHM returning aluminium and flux to the customer while retaining ownership of recovered aluminium oxide. The company said details of the contract must remain confidential and MHM must refrain from revealing the counterparty or contract terms due to the dynamics of the US aluminium industry. Also, MHM cannot reveal tonnages to be processed but the completion of this contract provides sufficient volume...
(China Aluminum Network) Power Plant of Huayin Aluminum Co., Ltd carries out repair and recycling activity carefully. In recent days, the power plant spent two weeks to made and installed 70 meters security fences and windows. The power plant without any security measures and easy to be stolen in such severe situation according to the original design. Thus, they have to organize personnels to install security fences, recycle waste material and take positive measures in order to ensure production.
(China Aluminium Network) China will remain the world’s largest scrap aluminium importer for the next 5 years because of booming demand from the auto industry, an official of Chinalco said on Thursday. China’s demand for scrap aluminium totaled 3.9 million tons last year, 27% of them from the domestic market, said Liu Bo, vice general manager of Chinalco’s Nela Import and Export Corp. He predicted that average monthly import would hold steady at 210,000 tons for the rest of the year. The accelerating appreciation of the yuan would help boost demand for scrap aluminium from the US and Europe. Meanwhile, the domestic supply is rising, Liu said, scrap aluminium output will reach 4.5 million tons by 2014 from a record high of 3.65 million tons last year.
During recent days representatives of Natexis Banques Populaires visited Qinghai Yellow River Hydropower Recycled Aluminum Co., Ltd. CFO, Ge Xiaolei accompanied with the representatives to visit the master-control room, electrolytic production area and casting plant. The representatives thought highly of the favourable process flow and math index, also fonded of the impeccable supply and sales industry chain. Ge Xiaolei introduced company’s complete industry chain and future development trends, the representatives were confidence in company’s future and expressed their intention and determination for cooperation.
Abengoa acquires 38% stake in its aluminum waste recycling business from Qualitas Venture Capital The acquisition is worth €34 million. The deal will give Abengoa 98.25 % ownership of the business. Seville, November 2, 2011. Abengoa, the international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, today announced that it has reached an agreement with Qualitas Venture Capital (QVC) to acquire its 38% stake in the waste recycling business for €34 million. In 2007 Abengoa and QVC integrated their respective aluminum waste recycling activities in the Abengoa division responsible for this business. The transaction gave Abengoa a 60.25% stake in the company. Following the signing of today's agreement, Abengoa will own...
PSC Metals Inc. today announced it's acquired the assets of two Knoxville recycling companies. The fast-growing company said it purchased Metals Solutions, a producer of secondary aluminum, and Knox Recycling Inc., a broker. Metals Solutions’ operations will be folded into PSC Metals’ operation at 5336 Counselor Lane in Knoxville, according to the announcement. Knox Recycling will buy recyclable material for processing at other PSC locations. Previous owners Dale Ferraro and Jason Loveland, will remain with the companies, according to the announcement. This marks the fourth acquisition PSC Metals has made in 2011.
Scottish Spirits Imports, a US based liquor company owned by Scottish Spirits of Cayman Islands, will launch both single-grain and blended Scotch whiskeys in cans in the US. Scottish Spirits in a can will be available at more than 100,000 liquor stores across the country starting December. Scotch whiskey in a can is the first hard liquor, which is 80% Proof with 40% alcohol volume, to be packed in a recyclable aluminum can, the company claims. Scottish Spirits said its Scotch whiskey is a blend of malt and grain having a rich honey, vanilla, butterscotch, apples and pears taste with a hint of peat and smoke in the background. The whiskey is distilled and matured in Scotland for a minimum of 3 years in oak casks. Scottish Spirits in a can can be had on the rocks, straight-up or mixed with...
EMAL continuously invests in the best sustainable technologies and emission controls to insure that its impact on the environment is kept to a minimum. These include steps to curb CO2 output by 70 per cent compared to fossil-fuel powered smelters, an environment-monitoring programme to assess air and local conditions, deploying DX Reduction Cell technology which saves energy, a waste reduction strategy to maximize recycling, re-settlement of local wildlife to suitable habitats, and encouraging contractors to use appropriate materials.
A study released by the Aluminum Association documents across-the-board sustainability improvements in the North American aluminum industry. Among the findings of the report, “Aluminum: The Element of Sustainability,” are that, since 1991: Primary energy demand associated with secondary aluminum production has been reduced 58 percent; Cumulative greenhouse gas emissions associated with secondary aluminum production have been reduced 65 percent. Recycling aluminum – which uses only 5 percent of the energy and generates only 5 percent of the emissions associated with primary aluminum production – further compounds the metal’s sustainability dividends. According to the report, in 2009, the recycling of aluminum offset approximately 88 percent of major resource use associated with primary...
The first annual Arabal conference to be held in Oman is attracting delegates from around the world as the international spotlight on the global aluminium industry is set to shine on the Sultanate of Oman. During a three day conference between 14th and 16th November global industry leaders will gather at Arabal that is being hosted by Sohar Aluminium, the world's most modern smelter, for the first time demonstrating the growing importance of Oman's growing aluminium manufacturing business. Aluminium is a light, strong, flexible, non-corrosive and infinitely recyclable metal that is now becoming one of the most important products in the world for modern manufacturing industry, especially as compared to most other metals, less energy is required to manufacture and transport products made...
A UK scrap dealer says his new indoor facility in Mansfield will make it easier for folk to recycle old metal - and get paid as part of the deal. Vic Baum, who has 20 years of experience in the metal recycling industry, opened up new premises on Anglia Way two months ago after agreeing a deal with Leeds-based firm Morley Waste Traders (Mansfield) Ltd. He said: “We think that this is the way forward, having the material indoors, because it is more convenient. People complain about the appearance of scrapyards when they can see the materials piled up - but all of ours is inside. “It also allows us the comply with the latest legislation.” The new facility accepts both ferrous metals - those which contains iron - and non-ferrous metals like copper and aluminium. Handling metal waste in all...
The following article is based on the latest Non-Ferrous World Mirror produced by the BIR world recycling body. An acute sense of caution is pervading the non-ferrous metal markets in response to the unresolved sovereign debt crisis in the EU, sluggish growth in the USA and further monetary tightening in China. In Europe, the focus of world attention at present as ministers grapple with the seemingly intractable debt crisis, scrap arisings have dropped sharply in response to steep declines in raw material prices.In secondary aluminium, the market seems to be bottoming. In the individual markets, scrap traders in Germany have been complaining of sluggish business and weak prices. In France,nearly all the aluminium qualities are proving easy to sell at reasonably good discounts, it is...
Packaging recycling and recovery rates appear to have remained resilient over the summer despite a recent slowdown in the export market and ongoing fears of a double-dip recession. The Environment Agency of UK has published data for the third quarter of 2011 on its National Packaging Waste Database showing that 1.809 million tonnes of packaging waste was sent for recycling or energy recovery between July and September. Although slightly down when compared to the 1.937 million tonnes achieved for the same period in 2010, this is broadly consistent with performance over the last couple of years and some large reprocessors are still to report their figures. Strong performance in the third quarter was particularly seen the case of aluminium, where an unprecedented 20,249 tonnes was...
Nissan has revealed that it is to commit 70% of its engineering budget to environmental projects. In its mid-term environmental plan covering the next six years, the Japanese carmaker is focusing on three areas of development: a reduction in its carbon footprint, a shift to renewable energy and an increase in the diversity of resources it uses. In this last respect, Nissan aims to become leader in closed-loop recycling in its sector: it wants to raise the usage rate of recycled materials, including steel, aluminium and plastics, to 25%. The company also wants to process recycled materials from production waste or end-of-life vehicles and parts into new vehicles, and reduce consumption of rare earth metals. ‘More consumers are demanding products in line with their values, including cars...
In the U.S., we recycle because we should. In West Africa, they recycle because they must. In a world where survival trumps going green, the pleasant mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle becomes more of a financial necessity. “Recycling is characteristic of the informal economy,” said Emily Osborn, assistant professor of African history at the University of Chicago. “When resources are thin, you figure out ways to make do with the resources you have.” Osborn spent 11 months researching in West Africa for her upcoming book, “Recycling Traditions: Aluminum Casting and the Making of a Modern African Diaspora,” which she hopes to finish by next summer. Although her focus lies in aluminum casting, she said different types of recycling are a huge form of income for many West Africans. She learned...
