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....
Grow with
AL Circle
The world's leading auto wheel rim manufacturer, Superalloy (SAI), has reported robust operational results for the second quarter and first half of 2024. The Taiwan-headquartered company experienced significant order growth during the year's first half, driven primarily by increased demand from luxury European and Japanese automotive brands, including Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche, BMW, and Ferrari. This surge in orders effectively counterbalanced a decline in shipments to American brands. As the tier-one supplier of world-leading automakers, SAI have experience in product design for leading European, US, and Japanese automakers, with customers located worldwide. Revenue for the period was notably diversified, with 61 per cent coming from European brands, 20 per cent from Japanese...
Thailand's Nakhon Pathom province underwent a significant law enforcement operation over the weekend. Police and industrial officials uncovered 14,400 tonnes of aluminium dross at two remelting facilities. The discovery, spread across sites in Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon provinces, just outside Bangkok, highlights a troubling environmental and industrial malpractice case. The operation was initiated by Pol Col Arun Wacharasisukanya, deputy commander of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division, who detailed the sequence of events leading to the discovery. It began when highway police in Nakhon Pathom stopped a semi-trailer truck carrying large quantities of aluminium dross without the required permits. En route to an aluminium factory in Samut Sakhon's Muang district, the...
The global demand for aluminium is rising, and industries must boost production while pursuing greater sustainability. Aluminium recycling involves complex challenges, such as efficient alloy sorting and maintaining the quality and purity of recycled materials. In order to meet the rising demand in line with sustainability or a circular economy, it is very important to implement technologies like Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), which ensures accurate sorting of aluminium alloys while keeping the quality of recycled materials intact. LIBS has emerged as a transformative technology, offering solutions to these critical issues. Material recovery facilities (MRFs) must process large volumes of aluminium scrap while accurately identifying and separating different metal grades....
Maaden, a Saudi state-owned mining company, has announced its Q4 2024 financial results, whereby it says its new aluminium recycling plant at Ras Al-Khair is undergoing a pre-feasibility stage. The company says its bankable feasibility stage is expected in the third quarter of 2024. The plant will reportedly have an annual recycling capacity of 400,000 tonnes. However, no details are shared on the project's construction and costs. This aluminium recycling project represents Ma'aden's strong commitment to sustainability, environmental well-being, and a circular economy. In April 2024, Ma'aden acquired special recognition at the Sharjah Award for Excellence in Performance Improvement in pursuit of sustainability and positive transformation in the mining sector. In the Middle East, the...
Aluminium ADC12 prices were recorded at INR 219,000 per tonne ex Delhi, a decrease of INR 2,000 per tonne m-o-m, as per BigMint assessment. In Chennai, prices were recorded at INR 218,000 per tonne, a drop of INR 1,000 per tonne m-o-m. However, bids are INR 3,000-4,000 per tonne lower. Better availability and a drop in scrap prices have decreased the price of ADC12 alloyed ingots. Meanwhile, spot prices of aluminium ADC12 alloyed ingots (non-OEM) in Delhi NCR and Chennai remain firm, per the latest assessment. In the Delhi-NCR region, ADC12 spot prices were assessed at INR 209,000 per tonne ex-Delhi, aligning with domestic tense scrap prices, which settled at INR 174,000 per tonne. Bids are at INR 165,000-170,000 per tonne ex-Delhi. Likewise, Chennai's ADC12 prices were reported at INR...
India has experienced a drop in imported aluminium scrap prices week-on-week, influenced by stable LME prices. This week, prices for all grades have decreased by up to 1.6 per cent, creating market uncertainty and prompting a cautious stance among participants. Three-month LME aluminium prices remained steady within the range of $2,225 to $2,250 per tonne, showing no significant movement week-on-week. LME-registered warehouse stocks are at 922,000 tonnes, with aluminium prices continuing to hover near three-month lows. In Europe, the holiday season has contributed to a bid-offer disparity in the market. According to BigMint's assessment, Tense scrap from the UAE has decreased by $30 per tonne to settle at $1,700 per tonne. Similarly, Zorba 95/5 from the UK saw a reduction of $15 per...
August 7, 2024, witnessed the establishment of a strategic partnership between the first aluminium smelter in the Middle East and Japan’s leading aluminium product manufacturer, following the signing of an agreement by Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. and Daiki Aluminium Industry Company Ltd to establish a sustainable aluminium dross processing facility in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The new aluminium dross processing plant will employ state-of-the-art technologies to recover the lightweight metal while significantly reducing waste and carbon emissions. The signing ceremony, held at Alba premises, was attended by Alba’s CEO Ali Al Baqali, Acting Chief Marketing Officer Hisham Al Kooheji, and Alba’s executive management team. On behalf of Daiki Aluminium, the company’s Chairman and Representative...
GME Recycling, a leading Italian company in the design and construction of aluminium recycling plants, has reportedly set up a fully automated aluminium scrap recycling plant in Nigeria, investing 10 million euros into construction and 6 million euros into technologies. The plant, equipped with advanced technologies, is the epitome of innovation, safety, recovery, and sustainability, assuring the output of high-quality aluminium scraps in Africa. Nigeria's waste recycling market has an untapped potential value of $2.5 billion. In Lagos alone, only 20 per cent of the 13 million tonnes of annual waste is properly collected. This significant unexplored opportunity ahead has inspired GME Recycling to develop a recycling plant aimed at promoting a circular economy. The new recycling plant is...
In the wake of increased aluminium scrap generation, the United States' aluminium scrap exports experienced an annual growth of 9,000 tonnes or 1.05 per cent during the first five months of 2024. According to the US Census Bureau survey, the United States' year-to-date aluminium scrap generation totalled 1.468 million tonnes, up 7.23 per cent from 1.369 million tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year. From January to May 2024, the United States exported 867,000 tonnes versus 858,000 tonnes a year ago. In May, aluminium scraps export volume from the United States amounted to 192,000 tonnes, reflecting an increase of 12,000 tonnes or 6.67 per cent from 180,000 tonnes in April 2024. However, on a year-on-year basis, the export volume stood slightly down by 4,000 tonnes...
Gebhart Holdings, Metal Source's parent company, has announced the acquisition of Imperial Aluminum's assets in Scottsboro, Alabama. This strategic purchase marks Metal Source's first location outside Indiana, enhancing its capabilities and market reach. However, the financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. The newly acquired facility, which will be rebranded as Metal Source, spans over 40 acres and employs approximately 80 full-time staff. With an impressive recycling capacity exceeding 100 million pounds annually, the site will produce a variety of aluminium alloys, zinc alloys, and aluminium deox cones. Colin Denihan, Metal Source's Chief Commercial Officer, emphasised the strategic significance of the Alabama location in meeting the growing demand for...
Schupan's JP Processing Centre has officially opened its doors, marking a significant step toward making Kalamazoo a more environmentally friendly community. The centre aims to convert old aluminium into usable raw material, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of aluminium production. Kalamazoo is a city in and the county seat of Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States. Aluminium scrap recycling or aluminium recycling is a crucial process aimed at reutilising discarded aluminium materials, promoting resource conservation, and mitigating environmental impact. Aluminium, prized for its lightweight and corrosion-resistant properties, has extensive applications in the aerospace, construction, and packaging industries. Gary Curtis, President of Schupan, emphasised the new process's...
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), a public service infrastructure company, has been creating awareness for environmental sustainability practices through recycling and the benefits of recycling. DEWA advocates for recycling plastic bottles and aluminium cans in line with the Dubai Integrated Waste Management Strategy 2021-2041, which promotes innovation in waste management and recycling, converting waste to energy, and providing practical solutions to environmental challenges. Since the launch of the recycling initiative in October 2022, around 690 employees have actively recycled 656,315 units of aluminium cans and plastic bottles. This collective effort has diverted 9.18 tonnes of waste from landfills, demonstrating the integral role our employees play in our sustainability...
Nandina REM, a Singapore-based startup, recently launched a recycling initiative to prevent decommissioned airliners from becoming mere junkyard hulks by reclaiming and repurposing their valuable materials. Nandina REM's visionary plan involves extracting high-quality aluminium and advanced-engineered materials from old planes to manufacture electric vehicle (EV) battery casings and other essential products. This initiative, driven by the company's mission to reduce environmental pollution significantly, targets a substantial cut in planet-warming emissions. According to the company, approximately 8,000 old aircraft are currently languishing in jungles, deserts, and various other locations worldwide, with an additional 15,000 expected to join them within the next decade. Karina Cady, CEO,...
Spot prices of aluminium ADC12 alloy ingots (non-OEM) in Delhi NCR and Chennai fell w-o-w, as per BigMint's latest assessment. In the Delhi-NCR region, ADC12 spot prices were assessed at INR 209,000 per tonne ex-Delhi, aligning with domestic tense scrap prices, which settled at INR 175,000 per tonne ex-Delhi. "We have stocked material beforehand and it is not required at least for a month. So, currently need-based purchasing is going on for small quantities". A source said, "Prices will begin to trend upward next month as trading activities, currently slow due to the rains in most regions of India, return to normal. In the meantime, traders are planning to stockpile materials at lower prices,” said a buyer source. Likewise, ADC12 prices in Chennai were reported at INR 211,000 per tonne on...
Recycling aluminium has several advantages, including environmental benefits, sustainability, and a circular economy. It also promotes consumer awareness and participation, motivating them to recycle and reuse more. In a similar initiative this year, Cowes Week is proud to host a special guest with a powerful message about sustainability and the environment: Nellie the Big Recycling Fish. This striking metal sculpture, designed by the South Coast charity Final Straw Foundation, serves as a collection point for aluminium cans and plastic bottles, encouraging recycling among attendees. Nellie's presence at the event is made possible by the generous support of Wightlink, who provided free transportation, and the Cowes Week organizers, who have welcomed this unique installation. As per AL...
India has seen a notable decline in imported aluminium scrap prices w-o-w, attributed to decreased LME aluminium prices. Prices for all grades have fallen by up to 4 per cent this week, leading to market uncertainty and a cautious approach among market participants. Meanwhile, three-month LME aluminium prices were at $2,225 per tonne, down 4 per cent w-o-w. Stocks at LME-registered warehouses stood at 940,125 tonnes. Aluminium prices are still hovering at three-month lows. Additionally, amid the European holidays, bid-offer disparity has emerged in the market. Market uncertainty, lack of firm offers A seller source stated: "Prices of all major aluminium scraps have declined. Plant owners are facing challenges with finished materials and a lack of orders, making it difficult to sell in the...
According to a report by Ball Corporation, the USA recycles only about 45 per cent of the beverage cans consumed by its citizens. Since the USA consumes more than 80 billion cans per year, that's an awful lot of cans in litter and landfill. They dug up that landfill in 1000 years, and that can will still be an aluminium can. It is not going to break back down to bauxite or something. Increasing the ratio of returns would save an incredible amount of CO2 emissions - recycling the can means that new raw metal is not needed. But Ball also measured in terms of the dollar savings. According to their report, some US$6.5 billion could be saved if 100 per cent recycling were achieved. Even improving the rate by half therefore contributes huge savings. Interestingly, the report says that US States...
In the first half of the calendar year 2024 (H1CY24), India's aluminium scrap imports fell by 8 per cent compared to the H1CY'23. On M-o-M basis, the imports rose marginally by 4 per cent in June 2024. However, imports were up by 15 per cent in June 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to provisional data from BigMint. The import volume dropped to 809,102 tonnes in H1CY'24 compared with 874,868 tonnes in H1CY'23. Meanwhile, India's aluminium scrap imports in June 2024 reached 167,641 tonnes, indicating a slight improvement compared to the previous month's 161,644 tonnes. What drove scrap imports low in H1CY'24? Image source- BIGMINT The impact of Red Sea issue The crisis in the Red Sea, which began in October 2023 and escalated through December 2023, has caused a shipping...
