
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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Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the world’s leading producer of premium aluminium, updated last week that its first and the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant would start producing hot metal in 2026. The construction of the plant, adjacent to EGA’s existing Al Taweelah smelter, officially began in November 2023 and is progressing ahead of scheduled time, said EGA while announcing the H1 2024 financial results. The recycling plant will have an annual capacity of processing 170,000 tonnes of pre and post-consumer aluminium scrap into low-carbon, high-quality aluminium billets. These primary products will be sold by EGA under the brand name RevivAL, according to the present statement by EGA. EGA believes this project will efficiently meet a substantial part of the surging global demand...

China-based Dongqing Melting and Casting Plant has unlocked a significant breakthrough in advancing the recycling of aluminium. The company has consistently enhanced the use of recycled aluminium, by effectively utilising these resources. The plant has contributed significantly to environmental protection and the circular economy, ensuring robust support for aluminium recycling initiatives. To boost the recycling of aluminium scrap, the melting and casting plant has implemented a comprehensive scrap recycling system. This includes increased efforts in publicity and education to enhance employee awareness and support for aluminium recycling. The plant has also intensified training for relevant staff, introduced an economic incentive mechanism, and encouraged participation in recycling...

A significant step has been taken towards the non-ferrous metals industry by the Government of India by mandating the 5 per cent content of recycled aluminium in all new products from the beginning of the financial year 2027-28. The mandate is for non-ferrous metals like aluminium, copper, and zinc. The Government is initiating the regulation with the 5 per cent recycled aluminium content rule but gradually intends to increase it to 10 to 25 per cent, depending on the metal. For instance, products made of aluminium should have 10 per cent recycled content, copper 20 per cent, and zinc 25 per cent. Thus, the new regulation will require aluminium, copper, and zinc producers to recycle a certain amount of products and introduce an extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework to ensure...

Texas Disposal Systems, based in Austin, has unveiled a bespoke material recovery facility (MRF) at Q2 Stadium, the home of Austin FC, the city's Major League Soccer (MLS) team. The mini MRF can handle approximately 1.5 tonnes of materials per hour, including aluminium cans, glass, food waste, cardboard, paper products, plastic bottles, and other recyclables. In alignment with the team's goal of making Q2 Stadium the "greenest stadium in MLS," Texas Disposal has developed a tailored sorting system to address the stadium's specific needs. Now, all materials discarded at Q2 Stadium are processed and sorted into recycling, compost, and waste streams through this specialized mini MRF. “The Austin FC fans are fantastic and do a great job at keeping materials in the right container; however, to...

North Yorkshire Council has partnered with Podback, a coffee pod recycling service, to offer residents the option to recycle their aluminium or plastic coffee pods at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs). The initiative accepts not only used coffee pods but also tea, milk, and hot chocolate pods. Executive member for waste services, Cllr Greg White, stated, “We are excited to be working with Podback to introduce another recycling stream for residents at the HWRCs. Coffee drinkers can now enjoy their coffee knowing their pods can be recycled and used to make new products and renewable energy and improve the soil.” Plastic and aluminium pods must be collected separately to ensure proper recycling, as they are processed at different facilities. Once collected, the pods are sent to...

Gravita India is set to reduce the share of lead in its portfolio and expand into aluminium recycling, rubber, and lithium battery. The Jaipur-based recycling firm will decrease the share of lead from 88 per cent to 70 per cent, as Navin Prakash Sharma, the Executive Director of the firm anticipates significant growth in their aluminium operations, which currently have a capacity of 40,000 tonnes. "This will increase demand of around 200,000 tonne of aluminium from the secondary segment. It will also give value addition for the secondary material as compared to primary materials. So altogether, I foresee that this segment will grow with the help of EPR on non-ferrous metal, by hedging through MCX, by launching this derivative of aluminium alloy," added Sharma. This expansion will be...

California is set to boost its recycling efforts with the launch of over 250 new recycling sites across 30 counties, making it convenient for people to recycle their used aluminium or plastic containers, beverage cans, and other recyclable products. This initiative is supported by nearly $70 million beverage container redemption innovation grants from CalRecycle. The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency. It oversees the state's waste management, recycling, and waste reduction initiatives. Established in 2010, CalRecycle succeeded the California Integrated Waste Management Board. About the grant The grants are intended to fund advanced recycling solutions, including reverse vending machines (RVMs),...

The German aluminium industry experienced mixed results in production during the second quarter of 2024. While overall production trends varied, aluminium recyclers emerged as a bright spot, reporting significant gains. Recyclers produced around 725,000 tonnes of secondary aluminium from April to June, marking a 4 per cent increase compared to the previous quarter. However, despite this positive development, the industry's performance in the first half of the year still fell short of last year's levels. Total production for the first six months stood at approximately 1.4 million tonnes, representing a 2 per cent decline compared to the same period in the previous year. Rob van Gils, President of Aluminium Deutschland, emphasised, "Aluminium recycling is an essential building block for the...

Coffee pods have become a staple in our daily routines, offering unmatched convenience and efficiency for brewing coffee. As per the reports, Oxford City Council has announced that over 2.3 million used aluminium and plastic coffee pods have been recycled. Recycling coffee pods is a significant step towards reducing the environmental impact of their production and disposal. Impressive milestone for Oxford Oxford Direct Services (ODS), which operates on behalf of the council, collects the pods for processing by the not-for-profit recycling service Podback. So far, around 3,500 households have signed up with this service since they partnered with ODS three years ago. Oxford City Council is the local authority for the city of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. This is an “impressive milestone...

A strategic collaboration has been formed between India's Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur, and Japan's leading aluminium product manufacturer, Daiki Aluminium Industry Company Limited. The collaboration aims to strengthen the Indo-Japanese economic partnership and promote sustainable aluminium production. The two entities formalised their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at Daiki Aluminium's headquarters in Osaka, Japan. The MoU was signed by Goto Kazushi, Senior Managing Director of Daiki Aluminium Industry Company Limited, and Dr Anupam Agnihotri, Director of JNARDDC, with key figures including Fukushima Toshitake, Vice General Manager of Overseas Business Coordination at Daiki, R.N. Chouhan, Head of...

Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has seen impressive growth in its first six months. Re-turn, the scheme operator, announced that since its launch on February 1, Irish consumers have returned more than 347 million drink containers, including aluminium, plastic and others. By returning these containers through the scheme, consumers contribute to the collection of higher-quality recyclable material compared to dry mixed recycling. This dedicated separation process allows for the continuous recycling of aluminium and enables plastic bottles to be recycled up to seven times. Public support has steadily increased, with a significant rise in the number of bottles and cans being returned each month. In February, the scheme's first month, 2 million containers were returned, and by July, the...

According to a recent report, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) will most likely obtain a major stake in Spectro Alloys Corporation, the world’s leading recycling company headquartered in the United States, subject to regulatory approvals. The news came after EGA and Spectro Alloys signed an equity purchase agreement, according to which EGA would acquire 80 per cent of the recycling company. As per the report, the transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2024. Upon acquiring a stake in Spectro Alloys, EGA will expand its business in the United States and gain further recognition in the global aluminium recycling industry. EGA has been solidifying its identity in the worldwide recycling industry by recently acquiring a German speciality foundry, Leichmetall . Expanding...

Exlabesa, an aluminium extrusion manufacturing company with the conviction of bringing imaginations to life, is reportedly expanding its recycling capacity to produce recycled aluminium billet at a plant in the province of A Coruña, Spain, installing technology once again supplied by Hertwich Engineering, an SMS group company. As per the report, Hertwich will supply a continuous homogenising furnace equipped with an air cooling station, a long-billet stacker, and a semi-automatic PET strapping system. This new furnace will exclusively produce recycled aluminium billet from post-consumer scrap, complementing the existing second melting furnace at the plant. The new furnace is designed to produce aluminium billets with a diametre of 178 to 406 millimetres and a length of 7 metres. The...

DAIKI Aluminium, a Japanese producer of secondary aluminium alloys for various applications like high-pressure die casting, casting, and rolling, has announced its first quarter fiscal results for the financial year starting from April 1, 2024, and ending on March 31, 2025. The company has reported a slight drop in its financial performance for the Q1 period ended June 30, 2024, owing to sluggish domestic demand for aluminium, but expressed an optimistic outlook for the full year's sales and profits. For Q1, DAIKI Aluminium posted a net income of 524 million yen, down by 57 per cent from Q1 FY2024, amid flat revenue at 62.6 billion yen. Profit margin stood at 0.8 per cent in the June quarter, down from 2 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous year. DAIKI Aluminium also...

Recyclekaro, renowned for its leadership in e-waste and lithium-ion battery recycling, is launching CleanGreen Metals, an innovative marketplace focused on premium recycled metals. As a new subsidiary of Recyclekaro, CleanGreen Metals will cater to both B2C and B2B markets, offering a broad selection of high-quality recycled metals. The platform will feature an array of metals, including gold, silver, palladium, platinum, lithium, cobalt, nickel, aluminium , and copper. CleanGreen Metals is dedicated to combining superior quality with sustainability, aiming to provide high-purity metals while maintaining a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. CleanGreen Metals, a new subsidiary of Recyclekaro with its office in Mumbai, Maharashtra, will offer a range of precious metals,...

Sonekin Co. Ltd., a prominent player in the recycling sector in Japan, is making significant strides in its operations despite a modest workforce of fewer than 20 employees across its two facilities. The company is known for processing substantial volumes of recyclable ferrous and nonferrous metals, serving both domestic and international markets. Jundai Gon, Operations Manager at Sonekin, highlights the company's commitment to meeting diverse customer needs while ensuring the delivery of clean, processed grades to melt shops. This dedication to quality necessitates a careful selection of equipment. In recent years, Sonekin has upgraded its processing capabilities with two advanced machines from Bano Recycling, a leading manufacturer based in Padua, Italy. According to Gon, these machines...

At this year’s RWM exhibition (NEC, 11-12 September), Alupro will host a panel discussion featuring prominent voices from the aluminium supply chain. The discussion will focus on the challenges and opportunities in aluminium foil recycling. Martin Hyde, Sustainability and Public Affairs Manager will chair the session, which is scheduled for Wednesday at 2 p.m. on the Packaging and EPR stage. The panel will include Dr Ann Stevenson, Circular Economy Lead at Resource Futures, and Michael Goor, Head of New Channel Sales at I2R Packaging Solutions. Both will present recent research findings on foil capture rates. In addition to the panel discussion, the Alupro team will be exhibiting at Stand RS-I128 throughout the event, showcasing their latest awareness campaigns and educational...

Pea Ridge Recycling has announced its recent strategic acquisition of Pontotoc Aluminum Recycling in Mississippi. This new addition, now operating under the banner of Pea Ridge Metals, is situated at the corner of West Reynolds Street and South Columbia Street. The acquisition marks a significant milestone for Pea Ridge Recycling's scrap metal division, positioning Pea Ridge Metals for enhanced service and efficiency in the Pontotoc community. The facility's prime location—adjacent to the Pontotoc Police Department and directly across from the planned future fire department—further strengthens Pea Ridge Metals' ability to meet the increasing demands of the local market. This expansion underscores Pea Ridge Recycling's commitment to growth and community service, paving the way for more...