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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European aluminium scrap prices fell on Friday as market participants reported lower prices in the week, but prices had stabilised by Friday and ingot producers reported good business levels in the face of growing economic uncertainty. Floated frag fell to €1,260-1,320 ($1,732-1,814) per tonne from €1,280-1,350 previously; cast fell to €1,160-1,220 per tonne from €1,180-1,250.
Sigma Group, which runs secondary aluminium facilities in China, has outlined plans to build supply bases for liquid aluminium across the country. In the future, die-casters will prefer liquid aluminium to ingots, according to Sigma. Sigma is building a 300,000 tpy liquid aluminium factory.
Aluminum used beverage can (UBC) recycling rates dropped for a second consecutive month in September, even as collection volumes exceeded levels seen in the same month last year. UBC reclamation totaled 130.6 million pounds in September, down 0.6 percent from 131.4 million pounds.
Snapping a four-day losing streak, base metals recovered up to Rs 5 per kg on the local non-ferrous metal market today on revival of buying by stockists on pick-up in industrial demand amid a firming global trend. The following were today''s quotations in Rs per kg:aluminium ingots 110, sheet cutting 111, aluminium wire scrap 112 and aluminium utensils scrap 107.
U.S. aluminum scrap exporters maintained their summer momentum, with shipments hitting a new three-year high as they approached the 200,000-short-tons mark in August. Monthly exports of 199,987 tons rose 2.4 percent from July’s 195,300 tons and beat by 15.7 percent the August 2010 tally of 172,904 tons.
Folks had the chance to recycle their cans and other aluminum products to help fund scholarships for local Flathead students on Wednesday. The Flathead Valley Renewable Resource Club hosted an aluminum can and scrap metal drive to benefit the Glen Ford Memorial student scholarship. Club members estimate they received triple the amount of recyclables Wednesday then what is turned into the campus weekly. Each of these scholarships given out to students is worth $300 and the club hopes to raise $2,000 by the end of the year. "You struggle a little bit as far as bringing in enough money to pay for books and driving to school and pay for bills. So having a scholarship that's need based is really important to the students here." coordinator Ruth Rickenacher stated. This is the first of what the...
UK aluminium scrap prices fell again on Wednesday, with purer grades following London Metal Exchange primary aluminium downwards and commercial grades suffering from softer demand. In the pure grades, group 1 pure 99% scrap and group 1 litho both fell to £1,210-1,280 ($1,905-2,015) per tonne from £1,230-1,300 previously; commercial pure sank to £1,020-1,100 per tonne from £1,070-1,130; and clean HE9 extrusions fell to £1,160-1,230 per tonne from £1,180-1,250. On the commercial grades, cast wheels fell to £1,200-1,250 per tonne from £1,250-1,300 previously; commercial cast dipped at the top end to £950-1,000 per tonne.
Base metal prices dropped at the non-ferrous metals market here today on hectic stockists selling reacting to fall in the London Metal Exchange (LME). The industrial metals declined at the London Metal Exchange over German comments that European summit at Brussels could not produce a definitive solutions on eurozone debt crisis amidst lower than expected Chinese economic data. Aluminium utensils scrap softened by a rupee per kilo to Rs 107.
Total aluminum recovered from scrap in the U.S. in August was 260,000 tons, slightly higher than 257,000 tons the previous month and 10% higher than the 207,000 tons recovered in August 2010. Of this, 139,000 tons of aluminum was recovered from new scrap, slightly higher than the 136,000 tons recovered the previous month and and 3% higher than 135,000 tons in August 2010. Aluminum recovered from old scrap in the U.S. in August totaled 121,000 tons, which was unchanged from July but 20% higher than 100,000 tons a year earlier.
Averda, the Mena region's leading provider of environmental solutions, unveiled its reverse vending machine (RVM) technology - a revolutionary breakthrough in consumer recycling at the eco-Q exhibition in Qatar. The RVM represents a new concept in recycling designed for public spaces. Working on the concept of a vending machine, the RVM accepts an input of recyclables like aluminium cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles in return for an output of points that can be redeemed for various rewards. Rewards may include discounts from participating retailers or donations to charities or environmental causes. "At Averda, we are dedicated to finding innovative solutions that will lead to a cleaner, greener future for the cities where we operate," said chief executive officer Malek Sukkar.
Nonferrous scrap exports, boosted by stronger offshore sales of copper and aluminum, surged to a more-than-three-year high in August. Shipments climbed to 350,615 short tons, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Commerce Department. That displaced July’s 343,231-ton total as the high mark for this year and approaches levels last seen in July 2008, when 368,803 tons were shipped abroad.
A Redruth-based waste disposal company has secured planning permission to build a £2.5 million recycling facility close to its headquarters, creating 20 jobs. H&A Waste Services has already invested an additional £400,000 in a plot of land adjacent to its Cardrew Industrial Estate base, where it has received the go-ahead to begin development works. It is to demolish an existing building on the site in December to make way for a new, purpose-built facility, fitted out with an automated line in which recyclable materials will be sifted out and sorted. The company currently collects around 15,000 tonnes of waste annually from a 2,600-strong Westcountry client base, predominantly within leisure and hospitality. Of the refuse it currently collects from clients, around 75 per cent is mixed,...
European secondary aluminium ingot prices fell on Friday as economic uncertainty continued to stifle buying activity. But the range widened as producers selling the majority of their production to the German manufacturing sector enjoyed better prices. DIN226 pressure-diecasting ingot fell to €1,720-1,830 ($2,368-2,519) per tonne from €1,760-1,850 previously, with deals reported across the new range.
Things are still very quiet mainly due to the drop in prices. People are holding onto material. Aluminum is still going pretty well. That is kind of a constant. Copper spreads haven’t changed even though the prices have dropped because there is still have enough stock. That may change in the foreseeable future. They may see they may have to narrow their spreads a little bit. Generally there is not a lot of business between traders and bigger merchants. The business that is being done is generally from the smaller peddlers bringing material into the yards, which hasn’t really stopped. Material is still coming into the yards. Manufacturing has been slow throughout so there hasn’t been significant amounts of material coming from production facilities. It appears that numbers have been made...
In the local non-ferrous metal market today on scattered demand from consuming industries,today's quotations in Rs per kg were:aluminium ingots 113, sheet cutting 114, aluminium wire scrap 115 and aluminium utensils scrap 110. Traders said fresh demand from consuming industries helped copper prices to recover marginally.
Recycling drinks containers has just become a lot easier for Murrumba Downs residents with the introduction of an innovative reverse vending recycling machine, Envirobank, at the 7-Eleven store. The Queensland outlet is the third in the franchised convenience chain to adopt this recycling initiative, following Kensington South in NSW and Brandon Park, Victoria. Just two months into the initiative 7-Eleven customers have recycled more than 3,500 containers and the energy saved so far could light a 60w bulb for eight hours a day for almost seven years. Customers who pop empty plastic bottles, aluminium cans or plastic Slurpee cups in the 7-Eleven Envirobank machine are instantly rewarded with vouchers. So far consumers have walked away with more than 180 Slurpee upgrades, 300 Boost Bars and...
OMAN is committed to sustainable development.One of the key elements that advances this noble practice is recycling.Oman’s commitment to environmental protection and cleanliness is also well known. Recycling is a great way in saving the environment and maintaining all-round cleanliness. According to the Brundtland Report “Our Common Future”, “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. An all-out effort is needed to further develop and deepen a very strong culture of recycling in the country. In each residential and commercial area of the Sultanate huge amount of used paper, clothes, metal, plastic and glass and other items are discarded every day, which can be recycled...
A newly formed European metals alliance, called Metals for Buildings, has been launched to promote the recyclability and sustainability of metals that are used in buildings. Metals for Buildings says it represents European companies involved in primary metal production, downstream manufacturing and recycled metal production. “Today's virgin metals are the recycled metals of tomorrow.” Gordon Moffat, EUROFER director general, says. “Metals provide society with a material that is 100 percent recyclable without loss of properties, and as a result, they help minimize the impact on the earth's resources.” Metal scrap collection and recycling from the demolition or renovation of buildings is already a well-established business activity thanks to the high intrinsic financial value of metal...
