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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The recycled segment of the aluminium industry has been witnessing extraordinary feats in the past few months with the advent of Net Zero and low carbon impact protocols. On November 16, Hydro launched the Cassopolis facility in the United States, 18 months after construction. This facility is a notable milestone for the company, being their third greenfield recycling plant established in the United States. What sets it apart is that it is the first facility specifically engineered for the production of Hydro CIRCAL, a remarkable achievement. With this US$150 million Michigan factory, Hydro will be able to generate 120,000 metric tonnes of recycled aluminium annually. Japan's Toyota Tsusho Corporation's subsidiary, Toyotsu Materials, and non-ferrous scrap company Sanko Saitama have...
Eurostat reported that in 2022, the circular material use rate in the EU reached 11.5 per cent, indicating that 11.5 per cent of the material resources utilized in the European Union were derived from recycled waste materials. The statistical office of the European Union is Eurostat, with a mission to provide high-quality statistics and data on Europe. Eurostat produces European statistics in partnership with National Statistical Institutes and other national authorities in the EU Member States. There was an increase of 0.1 percentage point in circularity compared to 2021. From 2010 to 2022, the rate witnessed a growth of 0.8 percentage points, rising from 10.7 per cent to 11.5 per cent. The peak shares were recorded in 2018 and 2020 at 11.6 per cent. In 2022, the Netherlands exhibited...
The world's second-largest aluminium scrap exporter, the United States, exported 26,400 tonnes of scrap to Malaysia in August 2023, down by 2,000 tonnes or 7.04 per cent month-on-month from 28,400 tonnes. On a year-on-year basis, the export in August 2023 edged a sharp fall of 43.34 per cent from 46,600 tonnes, according to the US Geological Survey. The United States aluminium scrap exports in August 2023 decreased month-on-month, following a hike of 20.85 per cent in the previous month from 23,500 tonnes to 28,400 tonnes. In the first eight months of 2023, the United States aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia totalled 244,000 tonnes, down by 5,000 tonnes or 2 per cent from 249,000 tonnes during the corresponding period of the last year. Malaysia is one of the leading aluminium...
The award-winning Australian designer Tom Fereday has created a stunning furniture collection made entirely from recycled aluminium. The furniture collection comprises a chair, sofa, and table, all of which celebrate the industrial aesthetic of the material. The Cove Lounge chair, which has been shortlisted in the furniture design category for Dezeen Awards 2023, has side panels made from uninterrupted and highly polished metal, culminating in a protruding lip on its top edge. The seat is designed with thick cushions upholstered in aniline leather, and cushions can also be upholstered with textural wool fabrics upon request. To make the collection, Fereday sourced repurposed aluminium from the waste streams of Sydney's machining industry, which was then melted down and formed using a...
On November 16, Hydro launched the Cassopolis facility in the United States, 18 months after construction. This marks the establishment of the company's third greenfield recycling plant inside the United States, with the notable distinction of being the first facility specifically engineered for the production of Hydro CIRCAL. The US$150 million Michigan factory will generate 120,000 metric tonnes of recycled aluminium annually. Hydro is now manufacturing aluminium in North America with the lowest carbon impact. The recycling facility will repurpose more post-consumer aluminium waste into value-added products in the automotive, transportation, building and construction, and consumer durables industries. The factory will initially provide to non-automotive clients, but after qualification...
In a strategic move towards sustainable practices, Japan's Toyota Tsusho Corporation's subsidiary, Toyotsu Materials, and non-ferrous scrap company Sanko Saitama have forged a joint investment venture named Toyotsu Sotec. With a total capital infusion of JPY 490 million, this dynamic collaboration positions Toyotsu as the majority stakeholder with an 80 per cent share, while Sanko secures a 20 per cent ownership. Situated in Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture, Toyotsu Sotec is set to embark on a groundbreaking initiative focusing on the sorting and processing of aluminium scrap. The company has outlined an ambitious timeline, targeting the commencement of operations in August 2025. The primary objective of this innovative venture is to significantly contribute to the horizontal recycling of...
Optical by National Pharmacies shops in Adelaide have become the first in Australia to collect and recycle consumer contact lens trash, to divert around 230,000 empty disposable contact lens blister packs from landfills over the next six months. During National Recycling Week (November 13-19), Optical by National Pharmacies is collaborating with Opticycle on a six-month pilot to recycle empty disposable contact lens blister cases left in collection boxes at 10 Optical by National Pharmacies locations in South Australia. Opticycle will split contact lens cases into aluminium and plastic for reuse in construction items such as plastic fence posts, plastic wheel brakes, and steel manufacture. In the first year of operation, 1.4 million pharmaceutical blister packs were expected to be...
The recently released real (adjusted for inflation) United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures for the third quarter (Q3) exceeded expectations. According to the advanced estimates by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the GDP exhibited a growth rate of 4.9 per cent annually in Q3 2023. This slightly surpassed the consensus estimate of 4.7 per cent and marked more than a twofold increase compared to the 2.1 per cent growth in the previous quarter. The growth was primarily driven by upticks in consumer spending, private inventory investment, federal government spending, residential fixed investment, and exports. Joe Pickard, the Chief Economist of ISRI, said, "We're encouraged by the economy's overall growth but remain concerned about the manufacturing sector. This concern is...
Alupro, Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation Ltd., a UK industry group, has rejected digital deposit return schemes (DRS) for aluminium cans , deeming them unproven. They emphasised the success of aluminium drink cans in the circular economy, being fully recyclable with an impressive UK recycling rate of 82%. While the metal industry aims to achieve 100% can recycling by 2030, Alupro insists that a 'well-designed' DRS, similar to those in Finland or Denmark, is essential for this goal. They expressed reservations about a digital version using mobile technology and unique codes, deeming it less optimal. "They have proven simply that the public appear, quite understandably, supportive of recycling initiatives that they can participate in by using an app at home," Alupro mentioned....
Hounslow has become the third borough in London to implement a coffee pod recycling scheme and the first in West London. The recently introduced service has been initiated via a collaborative effort with Podback, an altruistic recycling group. Individuals can engage in the activity by registering at no cost on the official Podback online platform. After being gathered, the coffee pods will be sent to specialised recycling facilities. The aluminium and plastic materials will transform to be repurposed into various new items, such as beverage cans, automobile components, construction materials, and reusable plastic crates. The coffee grounds will also be subjected to anaerobic digestion, which converts organic matter into renewable energy and soil enhancer. “The Council’s new initiative is...
India's rising aluminium demand sparks a call for government support to balance the environmental impact of primary and recycled production amid global scrap restrictions. The demand for aluminium in India is rising, driven by population growth, urbanisation, and industrialisation. With a focus on becoming a net-zero economy by 2050, the metal plays a crucial role in high-value sectors like infrastructure, power, transportation, railways, aerospace, building & construction, renewable energy, and consumer durables. Despite the surging demand, the primary driver is India's thriving aluminium recycling industry, growing at an impressive CAGR of 9-11 per cent from fiscal 2015 to 2023. In contrast, primary aluminium demand has seen a more modest CAGR of 1-2 per cent. Key sectors such as...
Tomra Recycling Sorting, a business unit of Norway-based TOMRA, recently launched Autosort Pulse, a new sensor-based sorting technology for the aluminium recycling industry. Using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technology, Autosort Pulse offers high-precision aluminium scrap sorting by alloy types. Tomra claims that the Autosort Pulse offers "outstanding performance in the separation of, for example, 5xxx and 6xxx aluminium alloys". With 3D object scanning, the machine detects each object regardless of its size and surface, while multiple single-point scans enable sharper detection of materials in any condition. Its artificial intelligence-based object singulation feature allows it to accurately separate overlapping and adjacent objects. The market strategy segment manager of...
ABx Group, a prominent player in the aluminium industry, has recently unveiled its groundbreaking bath pilot batch reactor at its subsidiary, ALCORE, situated on the scenic New South Wales (NSW) Central Coast. This significant development signifies a major leap in the field of aluminium recycling and promises to have far-reaching implications. Key highlights: ALCORE, an 83 per cent owned subsidiary of ABx Group, has commissioned a cutting-edge bath pilot batch reactor. The reactor is significantly larger than its predecessor, providing the capacity to recover fluorine from excess bath. The excess bath, a waste product from aluminium smelting, produces hydrogen fluoride, a valuable chemical required in aluminium smelting. Initial operations with modified conditions have proven the...
Aluminium ADC12 alloy ingot prices fell by INR 3,000 per tonne to INR 192,000 per tonne despite steady raw material costs, namely casting scrap pricing, exw Delhi. The monthly average prices of tense scrap in India remained consistent at INR 155,000-156,000 per tonne exy Delhi. However, the imported tense scrap prices from the Middle East declined by USD 30-40 per tonne, reaching USD 1,575 per tonne in October compared to USD 1,610 per tonne in September 2023. The UK-origin Zorba import scrap prices fell by roughly USD 30 per tonne and were announced at around USD 1,820 per tonne, while raw material costs such as silicon 553 from China saw a sufficient downward adjustment in recent weeks. It has been observed that several established industry participants are actively engaged in efforts...
The United States aluminium scrap exports in August 2023 recorded a month-on-month hike of 6,000 tonnes or 3.47 per cent to 179,000 tonnes, according to the US Census Bureau data. In July 2023, the export volume was 173,000 tonnes, down by 3.89 per cent from 180,000 tonnes in June. The downfall in July extended following a plunge in June by 8.16 per cent from 196,000 tonnes in May. The above data thus indicates that the United States aluminium scrap exports grew in August after two consecutive months of fall to recover to the export volume in June. On a year-on-year calculation, the United States aluminium scrap exports in August 2023 registered a very marginal rise of 1,000 tonnes, found USGS data. In the first eight months of 2023, the United States exported 1.39 million tonnes, up by...
Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) enthusiastically reported that it collected 11,254 kg of aluminium cans for recycling from all over the United Arab Emirates in its 27th cycle of "Can Collection Drive" on Sunday, November 5, under the theme "Say 'Yes' to Can Recycling, 'No' to Carbon Emissions". At the beginning of 2023, EEG had set an ambitious target of collecting 27,500 kg of aluminium cans for recycling. To date, the non-governmental group has achieved a collection of 26,831 kg, reaching 97.6 per cent of the goal. According to EEG, these initiatives are essential to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Through these campaigns, the group wants to set a standard for others in the country to follow. Mrs Habiba Al Mar'ashi, Co-Founder and Chairperson of Emirates...
Crown Holdings (Crown) and Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP), two world-renowned aluminium beverage can manufacturers, have collaborated to finance a new grant for can-capture technology at two different material recovery facilities (MRF) in San Jose and Elkhart. This installation is expected to gather around 20 million old aluminium cans annually. On March 31, 2023, Gränges announced the formation of a joint venture with Shandong Innovation Group (SIG) to build a recycling and casting factory in the hydroelectricity-rich Chinese province of Yunnan. Lancaster City Council is launching a new coffee pod recycling scheme in collaboration with Podback to assist citizens in recycling old coffee pods. Thanks to the #InTheLoop grant money, Ipswich Borough Council has put eight additional bins for...
The "Aluminium for Aluminium" initiative aims to gather enough aluminium cans to get new bleachers for the gymnasium. The objective is to achieve a cumulative total of one million cans. According to Principal Jill Johnson, it is quite likely that the wooden bleachers have been in existence since the establishment of the school. According to her statement, it was indicated that they are no longer engaged in employment. These objects remain stationary and accumulate particles of dust over time. L.E. Willson has been selected as the only educational institution in Alabama to participate in the Scrap University Kids initiative. The educational institution that accumulates the highest number of cans has the opportunity to be awarded a monetary prize of $3000. "Our children are learning a...
