According to SMM survey statistics, the operating rate of the secondary aluminium alloy industry in September was 35.0 per cent, up 3.1 percentage points M-o-M but down 6.7 percentage points Y-o-Y. Industry production continued its recovery trend, but the overall operating level remained below the same period last year. On the demand side, September marked the traditional peak consumption season, with downstream orders recovering from August. End-use demand from automobiles and other sectors improved marginally, but the peak season effect has yet to fully materialise. According to CAAM data, automobile production in September was 2.99 million units, up 11.4 per cent M-o-M but down 8.7 per cent Y-o-Y. NEV production was 1.814 million units, up 12.2 per cent Y-o-Y. CAAM noted that China's...
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...
Grow with
AL Circle
The United Kingdom’s aluminium packaging recycling rate has been rising for three consecutive quarters and is still on course to surpass its yearly objective. As per the Q3 data released by the Environment Agency in November, 37,815 tonnes of aluminium packaging were collected for recycling between July and September 2022. “The UK’s PRN data for Q3 shows another strong performance for separately collected aluminium packaging, material recovered from IBA and other local protocol fractions. It’s positive news indeed that PRNs issued to date this year are already well ahead of target,” said Tom Giddings, general manager of Alupro. 28,003 tonnes of material were collected using kerbside, carry, and on-the-go methods, 322 tonnes were collected via other means and 9,491 tonnes were recovered...
The UK Aerosol Recycling Initiative, started by Alupro, the organisation that recycles aluminium packaging, has received financial commitments from Trivium Packaging, a global provider of endlessly recyclable metal packaging. “We’re proud to have committed to supporting the UK Aerosol Recycling Initiative. The programme is crucial in driving further improvements in recycling and addressing consumer knowledge and the role of government and industry bodies,” said Andrew Davies, R&D specialist prototyping at Trivium Packaging. The effort uses a three-phased strategy to educate consumers on best practices, establish a baseline recycling rate, and provide a roadmap for obtaining better rates for aerosol recycling. Its goal is to raise awareness and uptake of aerosol recycling throughout the...
Sell & Parker gleefully declared the introduction of a new Return and Earn depot for the dwellers of the Hawkesbury region. Scheduled to be inaugurated on Thursday, December 1, the depot will accept aluminium cans and glass bottles while paying the depositor a certain amount. The CEO of Sell & Parker, Luke Parker, assured the zonal residents that the automated depot would suffice the need for recycling drives that are easily accessible. This move will be skilfully orchestrated during the peak summer so that the collection is considerably hefty. "As everyone would be aware, there is no automated depot for drink container recycling in the Hawkesbury area at the moment," Mr Parker explained. "We've been keen to introduce the service to the area for some time, and in September, we were...
Expanding the market share of secondary aluminium is in the best interests of the globe’s green transition: governmental policies taxing high-carbon products, the legally binding Paris Climate Agreement, and the UN’s Sustainable Development frameworks all tie countries to decreasing their carbon footprints. Raymond Onovwigun, Founder & CEO at ROMCO Group “Greening” up the aluminium industry is a key starting point - in 2021, on average, for every tonne of primary aluminium produced, 18 tons of CO2 was emitted, totalling 1.775bn tons for the year. To put this into monetary terms, when fully implemented in 2026, the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will tax importers €75 per mt of CO2 (the product’s embedded carbon emissions). With regards to aluminium, this equates to 1,350€ per ton...
The government of Ireland announced a new Deposit Return Scheme called ‘Re-Turn, to promote the recycling of aluminium cans and plastic bottles. Recycling aluminium requires 95 per cent of less energy as compared to making aluminium from raw materials. Additionally, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions from the basic production process by 97 per cent. The scheme will be run by Deposit Return Scheme Ireland CLG, and will charge a 15-cent deposit when a beverage is bought in an aluminium can or plastic bottle, which will be later repaid to the customer once they return the product to the shop or collection station. According to Ms O'Brien, Chief Executive of VOICE Ireland, the total recycling rate for plastic is about 30 per cent, while recycling rates for aluminium cans and plastic bottles...
Sustainability, or the urge to shift towards a greener environment, has become the need of the hour. Top companies and individuals, including the aluminium sector, are leaving no stone unturned to shift towards a greener industry. Aluminium as a metal generates around 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) each year. However, by 2050, the demand for aluminium is anticipated to rise by 50% to 80%. As a result, the top producers and people are taking significant actions by adopting renewable energy and producing cutting-edge technologies. With a growing concern for the environment and an increasing emphasis on carbon neutrality, notable aluminium leaders and companies are striving to build a sustainability roadmap for the industry, while groups are taking steps to recognise their...
Awareness programme for aluminium foil recycling is being spread out even to school students in York, the United Kingdom. The walled city in northeast England has designed a competition for primary school students during Christmas to make them learn the importance of recycling aluminium foil. A little change has been brought to recycling in the city, meaning City of York Council now collects foil from residents in their kerbside collections. To promote this change, city councillors have collaborated with Alupro, not-for-profit organisation representing the UK’s aluminium packaging industry, to hold a competition for school students. For the competition, participants will have to create Christmas themed A4 posters with used and washed aluminium foil and other art supplies. The poster...
Vivarail has mastered the art of resuscitating old or retired aluminium trains to make new operational compartments but is currently facing a proprietary issue. The company has been found seeking new administrators to avoid dissolution. Vivarail had its beginnings in the 2013s when founder Adrian Shooter was handed over a large collection of former District Line cars from Transport for London with the sole purpose of refurbishing their aluminium body shells and enhancing the coaches with the latest technology like batteries. Some of these reinstated aluminium coaches are now in service at Southern Midlands, operating between Bedford and Bletchley, also along the Isle of Wight. These aluminium coaches are also being created for usual railway routes in North Wales and on the Greenford...
After being introduced to the concept of COVID-19, the world has become extremely careful about the harmful effects of human negligence and started to shift toward green technologies that reduce carbon emissions. Only recently, Hindalco has partnered with Manush Labs, an MIT spin-off, to collaboratively conduct a 'Clean Technology Start-up Challenge' to arrive at their sustainability goals. Almost 70% of global emissions come from fully integrated corporations and industries. Many big enterprises have grown to become more careful about the carbon footprint left behind while production and the effects of their operations on the environment, other than solely thinking about financial earnings. Since the directives of E-S-G (Environmental-Social-Governance) have been widely accepted, many...
With the advent of the idea of net zero by 2050, many notable initiatives are being taken all over the world, among which recycling holds a very special place. USA-based Ocean Insight has inherited the LIBS SpeedSorter™ high-speed aluminium sorting technology by Rigaku Analytical Devices to successfully separate scrap aluminium for recycling. Pendle Borough Council has introduced the "Foil in Love with Recycling" programme in collaboration with the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) to propagate the recycling of used aluminium foils, beverage cans, tins, containers in the region. Whereas on the other hand, almost 158,284 kg of aluminium and copper flakes worth RM2.17 million destined for China were intercepted and stopped at the Senari Port by the Royal Malaysian Customs...
Aluminium recycling is not just the need of the hour but also a very important step for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reaching a carbon-neutral atmosphere. City Council on Tuesday reported that the installation of an aluminium can recycling facility at Flipside Thrift on Commerce Boulevard had been approved, offering locals another choice for recovering the 5- or 10-cent levy they paid on containers as part of California's "bottle bill." Flipside Thrift on Commerce Boulevard is a thrift store which accepts quality reusable clothing and household items for sale. They work in collaboration with United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of the North Bay, supporting the organisation's efforts towards people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, their families, and their communities. This...
New Zealand’s Clutha District Council has introduced a trial to recycle tetra pack cartoons accumulated in the area to convert them into building materials for the construction sector. A tetra pack is formed with layers of cardboard, plastic and aluminium, which means the recycling drive might yield enigmatic results for the district. Tetra packs are usually applied in the beverage or food packaging industry, primarily focusing on liquid supplies. Though their construct is an amalgamation of paper, plastic and aluminium, recycling a tetra pack is more complicated than it seems. Most of the time, recycling tetra pack requires initial sorting, separation and peeling before being put through the recycling process to extract the individual materials. They are also known as liquid paper board...
In August 2022, the United States aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia stood at 46,600 tonnes, reflecting an increase of 12,600 tonnes or 37.06 per cent month-on-month, found the US Census Bureau data. In July, the export volume was 34,000 tonnes, slightly up by 900 tonnes from 33,100 tonnes a month earlier. It would be interesting to note that the United States aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia kicked up post the March quarter of 2022 and since then rallied through August 2022. In June, the United States aluminium scrap export volume to Malaysia advanced from the previous month by 6,100 tonnes or 22.59 per cent, following a sequential increase in May by 12.03 per cent from 24,100 tonnes to 27,000 tonnes. However, on a year-on-year calculation, the United States aluminium scrap exports...
A recent attempt by a local business to ship 158,284 kg of aluminium and copper flakes to China via Senari Port was stopped by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMC). According to Dr Ahmad Taufik Sulaiman, director of Sarawak Customs, the objects were scrap metal estimated to be worth RM2.17 million. According to him, two people were detained for forging statements for goods that were supposed to be exported. Following a tip from Customs intelligence, enforcement agents investigated six containers at Senari Port on October 12. The containers had declarations claiming to be copper and aluminium flakes. “The initial inspection, which is the first found in the state, found that the items declared by the company were not the same as in the Custom’s documents, but metal waste. Following...
Pendle Borough Council has launched a new initiative to encourage the recycling of aluminium foil. Residents are urged to clean and recycle their trays, wrapping foil, aerosol cans, beverage cans, and empty food tins as part of the effort. The six-week program, which began in October, aims to increase the amount of metal packaging recycled by households throughout the borough. Advertising will be placed on digital street signs, buses, and community radio stations as part of the consumer engagement campaign "Foil in Love with Recycling," which is being run in collaboration with the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro). Additionally, creative posts will be shared on the council's social media pages. Councillor Nadeem Ahmed, Leader of Pendle Borough Council, said: "While we...
For years, the Worthington Cub Scouts pack 134 has solicited donations of aluminium cans from the neighbourhood, utilising the proceeds to support Scouting initiatives for young people in the area. Scoutmaster Scott Carlson said their most recent trip to Shine Brothers cost him because people throw garbage bags into the gravity wagons they provide for the public to donate their empty aluminium cans. “I had to dispose of all the garbage — at least half a trailer load of garbage. (Shine Brothers) put it back in our containers,” said Carlson. Anybody who is dumping trash into the waggons, other than aluminium cans, is urged to stop by Carlson. Donations of aluminium cans support Scouting activities like sending youngsters to camp or paying for outings with the Scout trailer. He also...
USA-based technology brand Ocean Insight acquired handheld LIBS technology from Rigaku Analytical Devices that employs light to effectively evaluate scrap aluminium for recycling. With the portable LIBS units from Rigaku, Ocean Insight's innovative Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy-based (LIBS) SpeedSorter™ high-speed aluminium sorting technology offers clients more flexibility when assessing aluminium, independent of the environment or alloy grade. "Recycling scrap aluminum is up to 95% more energy efficient than producing new aluminum. This means a much smaller carbon footprint for manufacturers and consumers alike, as well as lower costs. Acquiring this technology from Rigaku Analytical Devices helps Ocean expand its reach into the $217 billion global metal recycling market to...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced on Tuesday, November 22, that it successfully certified Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Berhad, against the Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification. Through the certification, ASI has acknowledged the company's aluminium smelting, re-melting/refining, casting, and aluminium dross internal recovery activities at the Sarawak facility in Malaysia. The facility has an annual production capacity of 960,000 tonnes of aluminium in the form of ingots, billets, primary foundry alloys, and wire rods. It is the first smelting operation in Southeast Asia to achieve AI Certification. Earlier, in September 2022, Press Metal International Ltd in Foshan, China, another subsidiary of Press Metal, received ASI...
