Europe’s aluminium scrap exports to the US have risen by 243 per cent, highlighting a growing concern over the continent’s access to strategic raw materials as it pursues recycling, decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness. Evangelos Mytilineos, Executive Chairman of METLEN, raised the issue, linking scrap outflows to the broader challenges facing European industry, energy security and strategic autonomy. Aluminium scrap outflows raise industrial concerns Mytilineos referred to the contrasting US tariff treatment of aluminium products, i.e., a 50 per cent tariff on primary aluminium, compared with zero tariff on scrap . With European aluminium scrap exports to the US increasing by 243 per cent, he questioned whether Europe could strengthen its industrial base while allowing valuable...
The US aluminium used beverage can (UBC) scrap price benchmark tracked by Argus recorded a mixed performance over the third quarter of 2026, declining in July before rising in August and September. The monthly average increased from USD 2,322.89 per tonne in July to USD 2,491.22 per tonne in August and USD 2,602.51 per tonne in September, indicating a sustained recovery in the benchmark over the three months. July: Prices decline despite a high opening The benchmark began July at USD 2,464.98 per tonne on July 1, before falling sharply to USD 2,270.76 per tonne on July 3. The price remained at that level on July 2 and July 6, the lowest recorded price for the month. It subsequently recovered gradually, reaching USD 2,319.86 per tonne on July 10 and USD 2,328.63 per tonne on July 22....
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Apple’s effort to source 15 key materials, like aluminium, rare earths and lithium, from recycled or renewable sources is leading to notable cuts in manufacturing emissions. Image source: Apple Aluminium plays a central role in Apple’s sustainability efforts, with the company making significant strides in incorporating recycled aluminium into its products. By using recycled aluminium, Apple has reduced the need for primary aluminium production, which is highly energy-intensive. This shift is not only beneficial for the environment but also supports Apple’s commitment to lowering its carbon footprint. Since 2015, Apple has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent, with a target of 75 per cent by 2030, as noted in its 2025 Environmental Progress Report released on April 16. Emissions...
While many countries are retaliating against the United States with counter-tariffs, Thailand is taking a different approach - considering reducing existing taxes on American goods. But why? The goal is to boost imports from the US and, in return, secure a favourable trade deal from the Trump administration. Image source: Trends Research & Advisory Thailand is among the countries hit with a steep tariff rate of 36 percent—significantly higher than expected. Despite this, Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhavajira stated the Thai government was in no rush to initiate talks with the US. Rather, they chose to wait until their proposals were prepared. Mr Pichai will now take the proposals forward for negotiations. The Thai government aims to establish a balanced trade relation with the United...
Ohio-based aluminium billet and slab manufacturer Matalco Inc. is set to shut down its Canton, Ohio, facility this summer. This announcement is expected to impact the life of 71 employees, with layoffs beginning on June 6 and continuing over a period of up to 90 days. The company produces the billets and slabs using recycled aluminium. According to a letter dated April 8, 2025, submitted to the Ohio Office of Workforce Development, the plant will begin the closure process on June 6. The notice was issued in compliance with the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires companies with 100 or more employees to provide at least 60 days' advance notice before a plant closure or mass layoff involving 50 or more workers. The Canton site is one of seven...
ABx Group’s subsidiary, Alcore, is making steady progress on its pilot plant project near the Bell Bay aluminium smelter in Tasmania. The company has partnered with BFluor Chemicals and Kempe Engineering to support this initiative. Regulatory steps are also moving forward, with Alcore receiving official environmental guidelines from EPA Tasmania for its environmental effects report. Key components for the facility, such as the oleum plant and bath reactors, have been ordered and are scheduled for delivery by year-end. The pilot plant will showcase Alcore’s proprietary technology to convert aluminium smelting waste into valuable industrial chemicals, including hydrogen fluoride. The pilot plant, situated at a leased site next to Rio Tinto’s Bell Bay smelter, is designed to convert hydrogen...
The Ogun State Government, in partnership with Neveah Limited—an indigenous company—is set to establish an aluminium recycling plant projected to generate over $150 million in annual revenue for the state. According to the company's Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lawal Ibidapo, the facility is also expected to contribute approximately 2.5 per cent to Nigeria's total non-oil exports. Mr Ibidapo disclosed this on Monday while speaking to journalists following a closed-door meeting with Governor Dapo Abiodun at Okemosan, Abeokuta. The Chief Executive Officer praised Governor Dapo Abiodun for fostering a business-friendly environment in Ogun State, noting that the decision to site the aluminium recycling plant in the Gateway State was strategic, given its proximity to Lagos—Nigeria’s financial...
Alupro has announced a strategic partnership with the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC), aiming to improve waste management education and increase kerbside recycling rates. Through this collaboration, Alupro seeks to engage with local authorities, share best practices and promote consumer awareness campaigns. As part of the agreement, Alupro will work closely with LARAC to provide expert guidance on aluminium packaging recycling. It will also use LARAC’s communication channels, including blogs, articles and website advertisements, to highlight its latest consumer education programmes. The collaboration reinforces Alupro’s role in aluminium packaging recycling, driving household participation and supporting its goal of a 100% recycling rate. This partnership will help...
Portugal is set to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for single-use beverage containers by 2026, aiming to enhance recycling rates and strengthen its waste management system. SDR Portugal will oversee the initiative, with Sensoneo providing the technological infrastructure. This collaboration underscores Portugal's commitment to environmental sustainability and positions it as a leader in Southern Europe's recycling efforts. Image source: OECD Sensoneo's technology will manage the entire DRS process, including collection, reverse logistics and waste tracking. The system will feature user-friendly mobile applications to encourage public participation and simplify recycling. By leveraging Sensoneo's expertise, Portugal joins other European nations that have successfully implemented...
On March 30, 2025, a UK recycling facility adopted Redwave XRF sorting machines to improve aluminium separation. With this initiative, the business aims to improve the efficiency and purity of recycled aluminium, reducing waste and contamination. Source: Redwave The upgrade enables efficient processing of zorba, WEEE, used beverage cans, incinerator bottom ash and mixed metal fractions. Redwave XRF sorting machines use X-ray fluorescence to identify and separate metals based on their elemental composition. Previously, aluminium separation relied on identifying accompanying elements like copper or zinc, making alloy sorting difficult. The new system accurately distinguishes aluminium alloys, ensuring better material classification and purity. The technology allows precise sorting of...
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Greek company Katheris S.A. has announced on Instagram the installation of Greece’s first solar panel recycling machine unit in Heraklion, Crete. This initiative aims to tackle the growing challenge of photovoltaic (PV) waste, which consists of discarded solar panels that contain metals like glass, aluminium, and other components. As per the reports, the recycling unit systematically processes the panels, shreds them carefully, and separates materials such as glass, aluminium, and other components. Reports by Balkan Green Energy News states that PV waste is projected to account for 4 per cent to 14 per cent of the total electricity production capacity by 2030, with volumes potentially reaching 60 to 80 million tonnes by 2050. “Our aim is to initiate the public into the mentality of...
eFactor3, a leading provider of advanced recycling solutions, proudly brings the AirStar® Evolution by Westeria to the US market. This state-of-the-art windsifting technology redefines material separation, offering unparalleled efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability. Image Source: eFactor3 Manufactured by Westeria, a German leader with over 60 years of expertise in recycling equipment, the AirStar® Evolution has been meticulously redesigned to meet the needs of modern recycling and waste processing facilities. Now available in the U.S. through eFactor3, this advanced technology provides a turnkey solution for companies seeking to improve sorting efficiency, minimise energy consumption, and streamline operations. At the heart of the AirStar® evolution lies the innovative NotusAir air...
Global sensor-based sorting technology provider TOMRA Recycling has enhanced its advanced metals recycling portfolio with an innovative AI-powered solution designed to upgrade wrought aluminium scrap. This marks the debut of GAINnext, Tomra's deep learning-based sorting technology, in the metals industry. Source: TOMRA With this AI innovation, aluminium scrap processors and recyclers can efficiently upgrade wrought aluminium scrap, achieving high-purity fractions by swiftly extracting low alloy cast from the wrought fraction and minimising alloying elements like silicon. GAINnext works alongside Tomra's X-Tract, which specialises in separation based on atomic density. X-Tract first processes shredded mixed non-ferrous metals (Zorba) to generate high-purity aluminium scrap (Twitch). It...
Toyota is set to enhance its commitment to sustainability by launching a Circular Factory at its Toyota Motor Europe (TME) manufacturing plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire. Scheduled to commence operations in the third quarter of this year, the facility will serve as a pioneering hub for maximising the recycling, repurposing, and remanufacturing of end-of-life vehicles. The initiative, which will run alongside Burnaston’s primary production of Toyota Corolla vehicles, is poised to become a benchmark for future recycling operations across Europe and beyond. The Toyota Circular Factory aims to significantly reduce environmental impact by integrating innovative recycling processes while setting new standards for sustainable automotive manufacturing worldwide. Toyota’s Circular Factory initiative...
New data from Sweden’s Deposit Return System (DRS) operator, Pantamera (Returpack), shows that over 2.8 billion PET bottles and aluminium cans were returned in 2024 — a 6 per cent increase from the previous year. On average, each person in Sweden recycled 271 containers. Pantamera reports that the system prevented more than 180,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions in 2024. Image Source: Anders Ristenstrand / Pantamera (Returpack) According to the operator, Sweden’s deposit return rate reached 87.6 per cent last year, falling slightly short of the 90 per cent target. With a deposit increase introduced in January 2025, the goal is to boost recycling rates further and emphasize the importance of returning every bottle and can. The DRS is designed to ensure collected PET bottles and aluminium...
Austin AI Europe proudly represents Austin AI Inc., a pioneering innovator and manufacturer of sensor-based automated sorting systems since 2001. As the sole company holding intellectual property rights for the most advanced chemistry-based sensor sorting technologies—including LIBS, XRF, and THz—Austin AI is at the forefront of revolutionising recycling processes. The cutting-edge sorting solutions empower waste management companies to enhance efficiency, conserve energy, and reduce their carbon footprint, making a tangible impact on sustainability . By providing innovative technologies that align with circular economy principles, the company actively contribute to global environmental protection. Europe’s strong regulatory framework for environmental sustainability has driven growing...
Germany's aluminium sector is raising serious concerns about the far-reaching implications of the recently imposed US tariffs on aluminium. While hefty duties have been slapped on primary aluminium and aluminium-intensive products, scrap aluminium remains exempt, a move that industry leaders warn will undermine the European market. Image credit: Global Trade Metal Portal American buyers, capitalising on the tariff loophole, are aggressively snapping up aluminium scrap at premium prices. This surge in demand is fuelling sharp price hikes and triggering mounting shortages across Germany and Europe. Industry experts caution that the unchecked export of scrap metal risks destabilising local supply chains, leaving domestic manufacturers vulnerable to raw material scarcity and sparking fears of...
A significant barrier to aluminium can recycling in South Korea stems from a widespread lack of consumer awareness about the material’s unique sustainability benefits. Image credit: Family Handyman According to Novelis Korea, the local arm of the world’s largest aluminium recycler, a recent survey revealed that 57.4 per cent of 1,012 respondents were unaware that aluminium cans can be recycled infinitely without loss of quality. Additionally, many were unfamiliar with the fact that recycling aluminium consumes far less energy—cutting carbon emissions by up to 95 per cent—compared to producing primary aluminium from raw bauxite. This knowledge gap, the company suggests, is a key challenge in boosting the country’s recycling rates. A survey jointly conducted by Novelis Korea and the Seoul...
The Bureau of Indian Standards recently conducted another raid at an aluminium alloy ingot manufacturing facility in Sipcot Industrial Park, Vallam Vadagal, Sriperumbudur, for operating without the necessary permits. As per the report, the company has been producing and selling aluminium alloy ingots without the required ISI mark and valid licenses. The raid took place on March 18 under Section 28 of the BIS Act, 2016, in response to violation of the Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys (Quality Control) Order, 2023. The company was found to be in breach of Section 17 of the BIS Act. As a result, BIS Chennai branch head G. Bhavani said the penalty could be imprisonment for up to two years or a fine extending up to 10 times the value of the manufactured products. This raid follows a series of...
On Monday, March 17, Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company Norsk Hydro held a groundbreaking ceremony for its cutting-edge recycling plant in Torija, Spain. The EUR 180 million project is a key part of Hydro's circular economy strategy, focused on using more post-consumer scrap. It also aligns with Hydro's goal of expanding its low-carbon aluminium offerings in Europe. Image source: Hydro Through this new plant, Hydro aims to maximise the recycling of aluminium scrap , keeping it within Europe rather than allowing it to be exported. Hanne Simensen, Executive Vice President of Hydro Aluminium Metal, has rightly explained that aluminium scrap is energy in solid form. Therefore, it makes sense to utilise this resource domestically, particularly when European countries are...
