Secondary aluminium in Italy, France and Belgium: 65 Kt recycled, 490 Kt produced & over 1 Mt processed annually

The transition is largely driven by economics and sustainability. Secondary aluminium production requires less energy than primary production and generates only around 4-5 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with coal-based primary aluminium.

Globally, secondary aluminium represented approximately 35 per cent of total aluminium production in 2025, while the aluminium recycling market is expected to expand from 39.35 million tonnes in 2025 to 41.14 million tonnes in 2026.

Against this backdrop, Italy, France and Belgium have emerged as three distinct models within Europe's secondary aluminium ecosystem.

Our study 'Aluminium Dross Processing: A Global Review' adopts a comprehensive and structured approach to assess the key aspects of aluminium dross generation, processing technologies, recovery rates, and emerging sustainability innovations. Click here to get your copy now...

Italy: A secondary-driven aluminium powerhouse

Italy has established itself as one of Europe's most important downstream aluminium markets despite the absence of significant domestic primary smelting capacity. The country relies heavily on imported primary aluminium and recycled feedstock to support its extensive casting, extrusion and alloy manufacturing industries.

According to Wood Mackenzie data, Italy remained the largest secondary aluminium consumer among the three countries throughout the 2020-2025 period. Secondary aluminium consumption in Italy stood at 979.15 thousand tonnes in 2020 before rising sharply to 1.09 million tonnes in 2021 and further to 1.14 million tonnes in 2022.

Consumption then moderated to 952.15 thousand tonnes in 2023 before recovering to 979.46 thousand tonnes in 2024. In 2025, secondary aluminium consumption crossed the one-million-tonne mark again, reaching 1.02 million tonnes.

At the same time, Italy's aluminium imports are projected to increase from 2.1 million tonnes in 2024 to approximately 2.21 million tonnes by 2028, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 1.31 per cent. Together with Germany, Italy accounts for slightly less than half of the European Union's secondary unwrought aluminium production, stressing its importance within the regional recycling value chain.

One of the strongest pillars supporting Italy's secondary aluminium sector is packaging recycling. Under the management of the Italian Aluminium Packaging Consortium (CIAL), the country achieved a packaging recycling rate of 69.5 per cent in 2025. Approximately 65,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging were recycled from 93,500 tonnes placed on the market, representing a 4.2 per cent increase compared with 2024.

When composite and complex waste streams are included, the effective recycling rate rises to approximately 72 per cent, comfortably exceeding the European Union's recycling targets.

Aluminium beverage cans continue to be a standout success story. In 2025, Italy achieved a can recycling rate of 92.8 per cent, improving by 5.5 percentage points from the previous year. The collection network coordinated by CIAL serves 79 per cent of the population through partnerships with 5,640 municipalities.

These recycling activities generated momentous environmental benefits. During 2025 alone, aluminium packaging recycling helped avoid approximately 460,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions while saving energy equivalent to 205,000 tonnes of oil.

However, Italy's secondary aluminium industry continues to depend on imported residues and scrap-derived feedstock. Imports of aluminium residues, including slag, ash and dross under HS Code 262040, reached 8.11 thousand tonnes in 2024, valued at USD 7.25 million. Germany and Slovenia emerged as the leading suppliers, accounting for 27.9 per cent and 28.6 per cent respectively of total import value, followed by Croatia (12.8 per cent), Bulgaria (12.4 per cent) and Spain (7 per cent).

At the company level, Raffmetal remains one of Europe's largest secondary aluminium producers. The company operates five facilities with a combined annual production capacity exceeding 350,000 tonnes. Its integrated recycling model includes a dedicated salt slag recovery operation capable of recovering up to 10 per cent metallic aluminium from smelting residues that would otherwise become waste.

France: Expanding circularity within a hybrid production model

Unlike Italy, France continues to maintain a combination of primary and secondary aluminium production. French primary aluminium output stood at 390,000 tonnes in 2023, supported by facilities such as TRIMET's Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne plant, which has an annual capacity of 145,000 tonnes.

Secondary aluminium nevertheless occupies a considerable role within the regional market, accounting for nearly 47 per cent of total aluminium consumption.

The country's recycling infrastructure includes 10 active refining plants and seven direct recycling facilities. The sector employs around 1,500 workers and delivers annual energy savings estimated at 6.5 TWh.

A major challenge for French recyclers is the continued outflow of aluminium scrap. In 2018, France exported approximately 500,000 tonnes of aluminium waste while reimporting 110,000 tonnes of processed aluminium ingots. At present, France exports approximately 400,000 to 520,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap annually, positioning it as one of the top exporters globally. The export revenue generally ranges between USD 750 and USD 860 million.

Industry organisations have repeatedly highlighted this imbalance, arguing that valuable feedstock is leaving the domestic recycling system before value-added processing can occur.

France recorded substantially lower secondary aluminium consumption volumes than Italy but remained a major consumer within the European market. According to Wood Mackenzie, the country's secondary aluminium consumption increased from 353.71 thousand tonnes in 2020 to 381.39 thousand tonnes in 2021, before reaching 400.14 thousand tonnes in 2022.

Consumption subsequently declined to 345.06 thousand tonnes in 2023 and remained broadly stable at 345.18 thousand tonnes in 2024. In 2025, secondary aluminium consumption edged up to 348.69 thousand tonnes. These volumes underline the important role recycled aluminium continues to play within France's hybrid primary-secondary aluminium production model.

France has also become a leading example of closed-loop aluminium recycling. Constellium operates 15 manufacturing facilities across Europe with a combined production capacity exceeding 750,000 tonnes. Its Neuf-Brisach plant has expanded packaging and automotive sheet recycling capacity to 290,000 tonnes.

Further progress is visible in the energy infrastructure sector. In 2025, transmission operator RTE and cable manufacturer Nexans launched a programme to recover aluminium from high-voltage transmission lines. Around 600 tonnes of high-purity aluminium are recycled annually through the initiative and reintroduced into domestic cable production.

The recycled content of RTE's new transmission cables reached 10 per cent in 2025, with a long-term objective of increasing this share to 30 per cent by 2040. The programme is expected to reduce carbon emissions by at least 400 tonnes annually compared with the use of imported primary aluminium.

Despite these advances, aluminium packaging collection remains an area of concern. Of the approximately 4.7 billion aluminium cans consumed annually in France, only around 50 per cent are successfully collected for recycling, significantly below the European average of 75 per cent.

Participate in our upcoming e-magazine 'Sustainability & Recycling: Aluminium's Commitment 2026' to showcase your green initiative stance to the world industry leaders and beyond

Belgium: Europe's scrap processing and logistics gateway

Belgium occupies a unique position within the European aluminium industry. While it does not host major primary smelting or rolling operations, the country functions as one of Europe's most important centres for scrap collection, processing and trading.

The Belgian Scrap Terminal (BST) Group forms a central component of this ecosystem, processing more than one million tonnes of metal annually. Its operations extend across Belgium, France and Luxembourg, creating an integrated recycling network serving Western Europe.

BST reports material recovery rates of 95 per cent for end-of-life vehicles and up to 90 per cent for electronic waste collected through Belgium's Recupel system. The company also relies heavily on waterborne logistics, operating facilities capable of handling vessels of up to 55,000 tonnes.

The country represented the smallest secondary aluminium consumer among the three markets, although its role in the European recycling and scrap-processing ecosystem remains significant. Wood Mackenzie data shows that secondary aluminium consumption in Belgium reached 62.88 thousand tonnes in 2020 and increased to 68.51 thousand tonnes in 2021.

Consumption then eased to 65.82 thousand tonnes in 2022 and 64.27 thousand tonnes in 2023, before declining slightly further to 62.48 thousand tonnes in 2024. In 2025, secondary aluminium consumption recovered to 66.47 thousand tonnes. While consumption volumes are comparatively modest, Belgium continues to occupy a strategic position as a major hub for aluminium scrap collection, processing and trading in Western Europe.

Belgium is also home to major recycling and trading companies, including Norsk Hydro, Galloo Recycling, Sims Metal and TSR Recycling.

Norsk Hydro's European recycling network comprises 22 facilities and supports a global recycling capacity of 2.5 million tonnes, including 450,000 tonnes of post-consumer scrap. The company's proprietary HySort technology enables the separation of aluminium alloys from contaminants such as copper, zinc and steel, supporting the production of low-carbon aluminium products.

Join our exlusive webinar 'Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours' to stay ahead in the competitive market

Directives and technology reshape Europe's secondary aluminium landscape

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) enters its definitive phase on January 1, 2026. Under the new framework, importers will be required to purchase certificates linked to the carbon intensity of imported products. Given that primary aluminium can generate between 15.1 and 16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per tonne of metal, the mechanism is expected to improve the competitiveness of recycled aluminium.

At the same time, European regulatory representatives are evaluating measures to strengthen regional scrap availability. Industry stakeholders have proposed a 30 per cent export duty on aluminium scrap shipped outside the EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The proposal is intended to address Europe's estimated 2 million tonne scrap deficit and secure feedstock for domestic recyclers.

Technological investments are also accelerating. Advanced sorting systems based on dual-energy X-ray transmission can achieve aluminium purities above 99.5 per cent, while laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy systems are capable of sorting up to 6 tonnes of scrap per hour according to alloy composition. Emerging solid-state recycling technologies are further improving recovery efficiencies, with reported material recovery rates of 95-96 per cent.