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 Sri Lankan exporter of quality aluminium extrusion products to the global market, Swisstek Aluminium Ltd, launched a website ( www.metals.lk ) that will make selling scrap in Sri Lanka easier. The website has been created for the Ministry of Industries and Industrial Development Board (IDB), making it easier for firms islandwide to acquire and sell scrap metal, including aluminium, brass, and copper. Exporting scrap metal has been forbidden since the implementation of import limits in 2020, and the Industrial Development Board is the only entity with authority to oversee the sale of scrap metal. Local producers faced difficulties as a result of the time-consuming and resource-wasting nature of the process of selling waste metal. As a result, this website will help business owners use...
On Thursday, September 8, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced the appointment of Andrew Wood as Director of Sustainable Investment and Legal, who will begin his tenure on October 3, 2022. As internal legal counsel for ASI and as a co-company secretary with the CEO, Andrew will be in charge of advancing ASI's engagement with the sustainable finance and investment sector. He will also acquire and analyse market data and help ASI in its mission to change the world's aluminium supply chains to reduce ESG risks. Furthermore, Andrew will support ASI's Beyond Certification strategy pillar. At Alumina Limited, where he spent 14 years getting expertise in the aluminium business, Andrew served as Group Executive Strategy and Business Development. This came after almost 20 years of experience...
On August 23, Tetra Pak released its annual sustainability report for 2022, where the Switzerland-based packaging expert justified the sudden change in material preference of retailers in packaging their products was due to sustainability issues. Tetra Pak’s report illustrates that 1.2 million tonnes of cartons were returned and circled down to recyclers worldwide in 2021, almost 26 per cent of the total cartons sold that year. Many food and beverage producers use cartons made of aluminium and cardboard instead of plastic, which some in the industry claim is more eco-friendly. The supermarket brand Morrisons has altered the packaging for its in-house brand milk bottles. Still, when the transformation was declared, the plastics recycling charity organisation, RECOUP gave information that...
At an event organised by the European aluminium and solar power sectors, represented by European Aluminium and SolarPower Europe, 12 energy-related organisations and city associations reaffirmed their support for a 45 per cent renewable energy target for the EU by 2030. They also urged the Council of the European Union to level up with the spirit of the European Commission and European Parliament. “We are committed to eliminating our dependence on Russian fossil fuels as quickly as we can. Recent events have confirmed that renewables are not only beneficial for providing more sustainable energy, but they also play a role in making our energy supply more affordable and more secure across the EU. We need to move even faster, and that is why we have proposed that we increase our European...
On Wednesday, September 7, Sortera Alloys, Inc., an Indiana-based producer of low-cost, high-quality aluminium alloys, announced its expansion plan on a new 200,000 sq. ft. processing facility in Markle. As per the report, formal groundbreaking of the new site will take place in the fourth quarter of 2022 and the construction in the first quarter of 2023. The announcement of new facility followed Sortera’s fund raising of $10 million to advance end of life recycling for automotive metals. Michael Siemer, CEO of Sortera Alloys, said: “The new facility represents a significant milestone for Sortera as we look to scale our operations and capture a large chunk of the 4 billion lbs. of scrap alloy that is currently sent overseas. This will allow us to fill the increased demand for high-quality...
Conwy County Borough Council joins hands with Crest, UK’s central securities depository, to implement the ‘Podback’ coffee pod recycling scheme, which helps consumers return used plastic or aluminium coffee pods via a kerbside collection drive. Podback is a nationwide programme that receives backing from the most renowned coffee brands like Tassimo, NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto and Nespresso. The cross-country service will commence on September 26, and this is the first such initiative taken that will benefit the Welsh community. This service is aimed at supporting the council’s decision to reduce waste and encourage the recycling of used items. The residents of the area will be able to recycle their aluminium or plastic coffee pods by simply registering for the service. Once the user sign-up is...
Steinert Gmbh, founded in 1889, has successfully established the first LIBS sorting plant in Europe to extract secondary raw material after sorting aluminium scrap. Nowadays, the need for good quality aluminium is soaring, and organisations are toiling hard to keep the purity of their recycled aluminium intact. Introducing this plant would erase the boundaries between a customer and a recycler, where the former would have a definite place to return the aluminium scrap, building a concrete circular economy. Steinert Gmbh uses X-Ray transmission or XRT to differentiate heavy metals from lighter ones. Then the sorted material is melted again to form the raw material for manufacturing new aluminium products. The STEINERT XSS T EVO 5.0 currently provides the best upfront technology globally....
From glass to aluminium: Recresso has decided to extend its recycling domain, investing around £5.5 million. The news came on Tuesday, September 6, after the company announced the installation of shredders, X-ray fluorescence technology and briquetting machinery at its Ellesmere Port site in Cheshire to sort, shred and compress aluminium bottle tops from commingled glass collections for smelting. As per the report, the machineries will be operational by the end of September 2022. Tim Gent, Recresco’s director, said: “We have a passion for innovation, always looking to new technologies and systems that make all our activities more energy-efficient and environmentally sound.” He added, “This investment is part of our overall journey to minimising our environmental impact while maximising...
Recycling aluminium is one of the main elements for a greener and emission-free environment. Focussing on the same, Alupro, the aluminium packaging and recycling organisation have come up with an initiative which will make the concept of recycling aerosol cans more prevalent amongst the public in the UK. The program has been titled "UK Aerosol Recycling Initiative" and is expected to increase the recycling rate throughout the UK. The project's objective is to guarantee the profitability and recycling of metal aerosols in the post-extended producer responsibility (EPR) and post-deposit return scheme (DRS) environment. Steel or aluminium in metal aerosols may be recycled eternally without suffering any quality loss since metal recycles without end. The project will produce a road map for a...
Hydro's aluminium recycling facility, based in Wrexham, has reached yet another safety milestone. This week marks the fifth anniversary of the company operating without an accident. Wayne Clifton, Managing Director, praised the hard work and commitment of the workforce, "Reaching five years accident-free is an excellent achievement made possible by our highly skilled and dedicated team". "At Hydro, safety is our number one priority, and a strong safety performance gives us our licence to operate and grow as a company", he added. Norsk Hydro invested a further £2.4 million this year in Wrexham to increase production capacity to 70,000 tonnes. The company has grown its skilled workforce, including introducing an engineering apprenticeship program through Coleg Cambria. The Managing Director...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has recognised REAL Alloy with the Chain of Custody Standard V1 (2017) certification for aluminium scrap recycling and wrought and foundry alloys production at Grevenbroich and Deizisau plants in Germany, and also for central strategic, administrative, and service functions at headquarter in Grevenbroich. REAL Alloy facilities produce alloys to customers’ specifications by recycling aluminium scrap. The products are delivered in solid or molten state to customers’ foundries for the use in variety of industries like the automotive and packaging sectors. The ASI Chain of Custody Standard certification sets out pre-requisite criteria for the creation of a Chain of Custody for materials produced and processed through the value chain into diverse downstream...
The largest fully integrated aluminium manufacturer in Sri Lanka and a member of the Hayleys Group, Alumex, recently launched a pilot project in the nation to collect used aluminium beverage cans (UBCs) as part of its initiative to care for the environment. Alumex is reaffirming its commitment to sustainability by ensuring the circularity of aluminium sourcing. Recycling aluminium can be called the need of the hour. With the world already dealing with issues like rising carbon emissions, growing global population, and increasing energy costs, recycling aluminium is proving to be a need than a cause of concern. The manufacturer established sizable bins at strategic points in densely populated areas and laid out plans to implement the project throughout the island. The effort promotes the...
The importance of recycled aluminium in the extrusion sector is becoming more significant. On Thursday, September 1, Hydro marked the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its upcoming aluminium recycling plant in Szekesfehervar, Hungary. In a market where demand for greener aluminium is increasing, this new plant will solidify Hydro's position as a global leader and enhance its commitment to a greener future. The aluminium factory, which will be constructed next to Hydro's aluminium extrusion facility in Szekesfehervar, will make sophisticated alloys for extrusions utilised in the luxury car market. The new plant is anticipated to begin production in Q1 2024 and will have an annual capacity of 90,000 tonnes. About 80 new jobs will be created due to the investment, estimated to...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has reportedly granted Alu-met GmbH, an Austria-headquartered producer and supplier of high-quality aluminium billets, with Chain of Custody Standard certification. The company has bagged the recognition for aluminium extrusion billets production from recycled scrap at casting facilities - Aluminium GmbH Nachrodt (Germany) and Speedline Aluminium-Gießerei GmbH (Austria), and also for relevant functions at the head office. Earlier, Alu-met received full ASI Performance Standard Certification for its Speedline Aluminium-Gießerei GmbH facility in 2020 and Aluminium GmbH Nachrodt in 2022. The ASI Chain of Custody Standard certification is given to those who create a Chain of Custody for material produced and processed through the value chain into diverse...
On 2 nd September 2022, the Dutch aluminium producer Aldel announced facility in Farmsum will be placed in “care and maintenance” as of September 1, 2022. The company has stated that this step has been taken due to skyrocketing energy prices and a lack of government support. The Works Council meeting and other stakeholders were consulted before making this decision. Damco produces high-quality, value-added aluminium, essential for Europe's energy transition, and a highly skilled workforce. The company said, "A controlled pause makes it possible for (Aldel) to be ready to start production again when circumstances improve." The company had halted Delfzijl's primary production in October 2021, but recycled aluminium production continued. Damco can restart production after a controlled...
As part of its joint venture and license agreement with a leading residue processor, PyroGenesis Canada Inc. has provided an update on its encouraging progress. The JV partner conducted preliminary residue testing from an operational DROSRITE facility. According to the results, the residues are of such high quality that they can be processed into highly marketable products. A high-technology company, PyroGenesis Canada Inc. develops and manufactures advanced plasma processes and sustainable solutions that reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and are economically attractive alternatives to conventional "dirty" methods. PyroGenesis Canada Inc. is a leader in this field. P. Peter Pascali, the CEO of PyroGenesis Canada, stated, "We are delighted to announce today that for the very first time, the...
Ashburton, a large town in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand, has an implemented kerbside recycling scheme that yields almost 22 tonnes of waste materials in plastic, paper, cardboard, steel and aluminium per week. Now the collection from Ashburton is being conveyed to the new US$3.8 million materials recovery facility (MRF) located at Timaru, run by EnviroWaste. EnviroWaste has just opened the unit this month and receives waste collectables from kerbside recycling junctures at Ashburton, Timaru, Waimate, Mackenzie and Central Otago district councils. They also accept wastages arriving from commercial enterprises. The main activity at the plant is the initial sorting of the materials like plastic from paper, aluminium from paper or plastic and so on. This processing unit can generate 5...
Aluminium is a highly durable metal that can be recycled repeatedly without losing its original value. Recycling aluminium conserves 95 per cent of the energy required to produce the same quantity of aluminium from scratch. Compared to steel, the use of aluminium in multiple sectors is increasing rapidly. In response, companies are using aluminium packaging instead of conventional metal packaging. In April 2022, the amount of aluminium scrap exported to Thailand by the United States recorded significant growth. As per the USGS data, the amount settled at 10,300 tonnes for the same month. On M-o-M calculation, a surge of 8,310 tonnes or 471.58 per cent was recorded from 1,990 tonnes in March. In March, a growth of 230 tonnes or 13.06 per cent was seen from 1,760 tonnes in February. On the...
