AlCircle: Latest secondary aluminium news update

CRRE 2026 set to welcome large Egyptian recycling delegation

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:30:00 +0530

Driven by the global shift toward sustainable, low-carbon development, cross-border collaboration in the circular economy has never been more urgent. As a premier hub for circular technology and partnership, the Circular Resources and Recycling Expo (CRRE) is dedicated to driving international cooperation by connecting global stakeholders with advanced technologies, equipment, and market opportunities.

CRRE 2026 will be taking place from November 25-27 at Suzhou International Expo Center in Suzhou, China. The organiser has recently signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Eco Green Waste Management (EGWM) and the E-Waste Committee under the Federation of Egyptian Industries (EWC-FEI).

Through this partnership, the three organisations will jointly advance China-Egypt collaboration, focusing on technology development and business matching to accelerate the global circular economy.

Egyptian industry leaders to visit China

As part of the partnership, Egypt will organise a high-level professional delegation of approximately 40 industry executives to visit CRRE 2026. The delegation will be led by Ahmed Salem, Chairman of both EGWM and EWC-FEI.

The visiting Egyptian delegation primarily comprises general managers and senior decision-makers representing key sectors in Egypt's green economy. These include plastics recycling, e-waste processing, power battery recycling, textile recycling, and municipal solid waste treatment.

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Notably, the delegation includes representatives from Egyptian Electronics Recycling Co. (EERC), a leading e-waste recycling enterprise, and Ertekaa, one of Egypt’s largest solid waste recycling corporations.

During the expo, the Egyptian delegation will actively seek manufacturing and technology partnerships, focusing on procurement across three core sectors:

Electronics and metal recycling: Advanced e-waste collection systems, processing lines, and hydrometallurgical precious metal recovery equipment designed for printed circuit boards (PCBs).
New energy and resource recovery: Comprehensive recycling systems for lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, waste tire processing p lines, and industrial solid waste treatment technologies. The delegation will also target textile recycling systems and integrated paper-pulp and plastic processing systems.
Precision sorting and recycling: Municipal solid waste sorting systems, high-efficiency PET flake washing lines, and automated smart sanitation and waste collection-transport equipment.

This targeted procurement mission underscores Egypt’s accelerating demand for advanced recycling technologies.

Appointed CRRE Global Brand Ambassador

In a move to further solidify the partnership, Ahmed Salem has been formally appointed as a CRRE Global Brand Ambassador.

Alongside his leadership roles as Chairman of both EGWM and EWC-FEI, Salem serves as the CEO of EERC. He has been a driving force in advancing certified e-waste recycling, secure data destruction, and industrial resource recovery, playing a pivotal role in strengthening Egypt’s circular economy and enhancing regional environmental sustainability.

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“As a critical step in our long-term strategic partnership, EGWM and EWC-FEI warmly welcome China’s high-quality recycling enterprises, advanced technology suppliers, and investment institutions from CRRE to visit Egypt,” Salem stated. “Together, we aim to jointly explore the vast growth opportunities for the resource-recycling industry across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets.”

Note: This article has been issued by CRRE 2026 and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data.

Falling costs coupled with off-season double inventory buildup, adc12 consolidates on a subdued note

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:30:00 +0530

Aluminium scrap:

This week, domestic aluminium scrap prices in China followed the primary aluminium pullback, showing a pattern of high-level weakness. However, cost support remained, limiting the decline. On August 20, SMM A00 spot aluminium ingot prices closed at RMB 23,600 per tonne, down RMB 520 per tonne from RMB 24,120 per tonne last Thursday.

Dragged down by the fall in primary aluminium prices, aluminium scrap prices pulled back, but thanks to cost support and tight supply, the decline in scrap was relatively limited, maintaining its resilience. In terms of price spreads, on August 20, the price difference between A00 aluminium and mixed aluminium extrusion scrap free of paint in Foshan was RMB 2,360 per tonne, and the price difference between A00 aluminium and shredded aluminium tense scrap was RMB 1,150 per tonne.

Domestically, the impact of the reverse invoicing policy deepened, with compliant invoiced aluminium scrap scarcity rising continuously, constraining the operating rates and procurement of scrap utilisation enterprises. On imports and exports, according to SMM customs data, China's aluminium scrap imports in July 2026 totalled approximately 119,600 tonnes, down M-o-M from 133,000 tonnes in June, mainly due to the inverted price spread between Chinese and overseas markets and shipment delays, keeping the supplement of high-quality overseas scrap at a low level.

Affected by the UAE's aluminium scrap export ban and the EU's tariff hike policy, the contraction effect of supply from Europe and the Middle East continued to show, further consolidating Southeast Asia's position as a major supplementary source. Next week, the aluminium scrap market is expected to continue its narrow sideways movement pattern under demand suppression and cost support.

Currently, the traditional off-season is nearing its end, with no substantial breakout in downstream end-user orders. Scrap utilisation enterprises continue to adopt a purchase-as-needed strategy with cautious procurement sentiment, and the pre-peak season effect is not yet apparent. Enterprises need to wait and see for subsequent order intake. The mainstream operating range for shredded aluminium tense scrap (priced based on aluminium content) is expected to be between 19,900 and RMB 20,700 per tonne.

Secondary aluminium alloy:

This week, ADC12 prices rose first and then fell, stabilising later. Today, SMM ADC12 fell RMB 300 per tonne from last Thursday to RMB 23,900 per tonne. On the cost side, aluminium scrap prices followed aluminium prices down, but compliant raw material costs remained at a relatively high level. Among cost components, copper and silicon prices edged up, and overall production costs were slightly lower than before.

However, as selling prices fell faster than costs, the industry's theoretical losses widened slightly. On the demand side, it is still the hot off-season, with weak end-user orders and downstream mainly making just-in-time procurement. Prices fell during the week but did not trigger concentrated dip-buying downstream, and market restocking willingness remained weak.

Some secondary aluminium enterprises, affected by sluggish shipments, saw a buildup in finished product inventories, increasing their willingness to sell at lower prices, putting downward pressure on prices. With the hot weather gradually easing, demand is expected to improve marginally.

On the supply side, this week's operating rate of industry leaders in secondary aluminium remained stable at 49.1 per cent, still at a low level for the period. China's social inventory of cast aluminium alloy ingots rose to 28,100 tonnes, up 2,500 tonnes M-o-M, marking the second consecutive week of inventory buildup, with the pace of buildup accelerating. Under weak off-season demand, inventory pressure further emerged.

On imports, overseas ADC12 quotes fell to USD 3,050-3,190 per tonne, with the immediate import loss remaining around RMB 1,000 per tonne. The import window remained closed, and overseas supply supplement was limited. Looking ahead, ADC12 prices are expected to consolidate on a subdued note in the near term. On the cost side, high compliant raw material costs, the closed import window, and low operating rates form a floor for prices, limiting downside room.

However, weak end-use consumption, insufficient downstream purchase willingness, and the simultaneous buildup of enterprise finished product and social inventories leave prices lacking upward momentum. Should the hot off-season end and end-user orders improve substantially, prices could regain upward momentum.

Note: This article has been issued by SMM and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data.

AL Circle Analysis: Inside aluminium’s global recycling reckoning with scrap, solar and smelters

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:49:00 +0530

Aluminium’s circular economy is no longer a sustainability side story — it is becoming a contest over who controls scrap, who sets the compliance bar, and who can afford the energy to keep smelting.

On one hand, recycled aluminium is being tested, as dross piles up in China, scrap ships out of the US faster than domestic recyclers can replace it, and only a third of the world’s beverage cans actually become cans again. On the other hand, governments are throwing real money at keeping primary production alive, from Canberra’s power-price rescue of an Australian smelter to Chinese capital scouting a new industrial base in Egypt.

These indicate that circularity is becoming as much a matter of industrial strategy and geopolitics as of technology.

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The global scrap squeeze: Recycling’s growth story hits a supply wall

While aluminium recycling is supposed to be the industry’s easy win — infinitely remeltable metal, lower energy cost than primary smelting, and a growing appetite from carbon-conscious buyers, the supply side appears strained under its own success.

China produced roughly 2.75 million tonnes of aluminium dross in 2025, accounting for 47 per cent of the world total, with secondary aluminium recycling now the single biggest contributor. Beijing’s technology push, from rotary-furnace processing to hydrometallurgical recovery, is being matched by tighter hazardous-waste rules. However, output is still forecast to climb to 2.84 million tonnes in 2026 as recycling volumes outpace waste-reduction gains.

Access to scrap is proving just as decisive as the volume of it. Enicor Executive Chairman Tom Bird argues the UK’s recycling sector, needing to expand 25 per cent annually to meet demand rising from 1.8 million to 8 million tonnes by 2035, cannot do so in isolation. With just one domestic smelter and shrinking billet capacity, UK recyclers rely on overseas processing networks. Thus, protectionist scrap-retention policies could choke the very growth they’re meant to protect.

Germany, meanwhile, offers a working counterexample. Its AUF network shows Germany’s construction sector kept 75,000 tonnes or over half of its building-sector scrap in a closed domestic loop in 2023, with roughly 70 per cent remelted at home. It serves as proof that structured collection can hold recycling rates close to 100 per cent even as other markets leak scrap abroad.

New IAI data shows only 33 per cent of the 420 billion cans produced annually return as new cans, even though better sorting alone could lift that to 62 per cent — nearly tripling future output to 685 billion cans by 2050. A 2006 Kentucky Six Sigma study, treating every unrecycled can as a process defect rather than a lost cause, is proving strikingly relevant at global scale.

The US aluminium scrap exports rose 21 per cent in the first half of 2026 to 1.25 million tonnes, with Thailand and India the biggest buyers. The Aluminum Association and the newly formed Secondary Aluminum Coalition for America both warn this is worsening a domestic supply shortage, intensifying pressure on Washington to consider export curbs.

Industry takeaways

For recyclers: Scrap access is becoming the constraint, not capacity

Rising export competition and domestic retention pressure (US, China) mean recyclers dependent on imported feedstock should diversify sourcing and invest in domestic collection networks, following Germany’s AUF model.
Sorting and alloy separation now matter more than raw collection volume. Closing the gap on can-to-can recycling rates offers more upside than chasing new tonnage.

For scrap traders and exporters: Expect more policy intervention in trade flows

Export volumes are increasingly subject to national retention pressure rather than price signals alone — traders overly reliant on a single corridor (e.g., US-to-Asia) face growing disruption risk.
Emerging waste volumes remain too scattered for dedicated investment today. Timing entry will be as important as spotting the opportunity.

Regulatory tightening: Compliance becomes a market gatekeeper

As trade flows get contested, regulators on both ends of the value chain are moving to formalise the rules, thereby adding cost and complexity that manufacturers and traders will need to price in.

The Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry has drafted rules requiring Philippine Standard certification for extruded and cold-drawn aluminium products, backed by factory audits and three-year licences for both local and foreign manufacturers. It’s a fair-competition and safety measure on paper, but it also raises the compliance bar for exporters targeting Southeast Asia.

Brussels has moved in a similar direction from the carbon side. Its Implementing Regulation 2026/1740, retroactive to January 2026, lowered CBAM default values for select Tunisian aluminium products but raised unknown-origin precursor values by nearly 47.5 per cent. This thrusts a direct cost penalty for importers who cannot verify where their material came from. Between Manila and Brussels, the message is consistent: traceability and documentation are no longer back-office paperwork. They are becoming conditions of market entry.

Industry takeaways

For manufacturers and exporters: Certification and traceability gate market access

Exporters into emerging Asian markets should track certification proposals early and build audit and licensing readiness into planning rather than reacting after rules take effect.
Unverified origin now carries a real financial penalty under revised CBAM defaults; supply-chain traceability should be treated as a cost-control measure, not just a compliance formality.

For policymakers: Circularity targets need enforcement, not just intent

Aligning trade policy, certification regimes and energy support, rather than treating them separately, would determine which markets retain higher-value aluminium processing domestically.

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Capital flows to capacity: Smelters, solar and new frontiers

Even as recycling and compliance dominate headlines, fresh capital is still chasing primary and adjacent aluminium capacity, and the common thread is energy economics rather than raw material access.

With global solar capacity at 2.4TW and IRENA projecting PV waste to jump from 4 million tonnes in 2030 to over 200 million tonnes by 2050, aluminium frames are emerging as one of the most recoverable materials in the panel stream. But recyclers like PV CYCLE say today’s scattered, low volumes don’t yet justify dedicated investment – a capacity gap that’s still open for first movers.

Australia’s Tomago smelter, producing 40 per cent of the country’s aluminium, is set for a decade-long, government-backed power deal worth up to AUD 2.5 billion, tied to renewable supply from Snowy Hydro. With its AGL contract expiring in 2028 and electricity already over 40 per cent of operating costs, the deal underscores how energy pricing, not ore availability, now decides smelter survival.

Moreover, the Chinese aluminium capital continues to look outward. A Chinese aluminium group is in early discussions over a USD 2 billion, clean-energy-powered industrial complex in Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone, potentially creating over 3,000 jobs. Still at the planning stage, it reflects Chinese capital’s continued search for strategically located, export-oriented manufacturing bases outside China.

Unlock key insights from industry experts on aluminium’s applications in end-user with our magazine - Sustainability & Recycling: Aluminium’s Dual Commitment.

Industry takeaways

For smelters and primary producers: Energy strategy is the competitiveness lever

Tomago’s government-backed power deal shows long-term, renewable-linked energy contracts are becoming essential to survival in high-cost grids. Energy negotiation is to be treated as a strategic priority.
Solar panel recycling is a genuine white-space opportunity, but investment will lag until collection volumes and geographic concentration improve — timing entry will matter as much as technology.
Chinese aluminium capital is diversifying its manufacturing footprint toward strategic trade corridors (Egypt, Southeast Asia), a trend worth monitoring for competitive and supply-chain planning.

India’s aluminium recyclers face a scrap-supply bottleneck

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0530

India’s rapidly expanding secondary aluminium industry is facing a shortage of domestic scrap, leaving recyclers dependent on overseas suppliers and vulnerable to changing trade policies in major exporting regions.

Secondary aluminium production has increased from approximately 0.85 million tonnes in 2015–16 to nearly 2.2 million tonnes in 2025–26, according to industry estimates cited by the Material Recycling Association of India. The sector now supplies around 35 per cent of India’s aluminium consumption, but imports account for roughly 80 per cent-85 per cent of its scrap requirements.

The imbalance is prompting recyclers and primary aluminium producers to push competing policy proposals on the 2.5 per cent basic customs duty applied to imported aluminium scrap.

Domestic scrap cannot meet demand

India’s secondary producers have expanded faster than the country’s domestic scrap-collection base. Aluminium scrap is generated when products such as vehicles, building materials, packaging and electrical goods reach the end of their useful lives, but India’s historically low per-capita aluminium consumption means that the domestic stream remains limited.

The source article estimates India’s historical per-capita aluminium consumption at 3.3 kilograms, compared with a global average of 16 kilograms. This has restricted the volume of end-of-life aluminium available for domestic recycling and left producers reliant on imports for most of their feedstock.

Industry estimates cited by MRAI suggest that domestic scrap meets only 15 per cent-20 per cent of secondary producers’ raw-material needs. The resulting gap could persist until a larger volume of aluminium products enters India’s end-of-life cycle and collection systems become more organised.

For recyclers, the issue is not simply the availability of processing capacity. A plant can operate only if it has reliable access to suitable scrap at a competitive price.

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Asia competes for recycled-metal capacity

India is also competing with other Asian countries to attract recycling and secondary-metal investment. Thailand and Malaysia are cited as offering duty-free access to imported scrap, giving recyclers in those markets a lower-cost input environment than Indian producers facing the 2.5 per cent basic customs duty.

The difference could influence where companies build or expand recycling capacity. A duty on imported scrap raises the landed cost of feedstock for Indian recyclers, while competing hubs may be able to source the same material without an equivalent tariff burden.

Supply conditions are becoming more important as traditional exporting regions introduce restrictions on recyclable materials. The source article says the UAE and Saudi Arabia have introduced export restrictions or taxes, while the Gulf region accounts for nearly 20 per cent of India’s aluminium scrap imports.

These measures could increase competition for available scrap, raise procurement costs and force Indian recyclers to search for suppliers in other regions.

Industry divided over import policy

The Material Recycling Association of India and the Aluminium Secondary Manufacturers Association are seeking removal of the 2.5 per cent duty, arguing that imported scrap is a raw material for domestic manufacturers rather than a finished product competing directly with primary aluminium.

The Mines Ministry has also recommended that the existing 2.5 per cent basic customs duty on aluminium waste and scrap be eliminated, although the final decision rests with the Department of Revenue.

Primary producers represented by the Aluminium Association of India have taken a different position. The association has called for the duty to remain until a Bureau of Indian Standards framework for aluminium scrap is notified and separate customs classifications are created for different scrap grades.

The association has also proposed a higher duty on lower-quality Grades 3 to 7 once those safeguards are in place. The draft standards would classify scrap based on aluminium content and set limits for metallic and non-metallic foreign material, moisture and other impurities.

The disagreement reflects two different concerns. Recyclers want lower input costs and a predictable supply of raw material, while primary producers want protection against low-grade or potentially misclassified imports entering the market.

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Tariff debate goes beyond cost

The 2.5 per cent duty is relatively modest as a headline tariff, but its impact can be significant for businesses operating on tight margins and managing large volumes of imported feedstock. The cost can also affect working capital, procurement decisions and the competitiveness of downstream manufacturers that use recycled aluminium.

For recyclers, removing the duty could improve access to imported scrap and help Indian plants compete with duty-free Asian markets. For primary producers, however, tariff changes without quality controls could increase the risk of India becoming a destination for substandard or contaminated material.

A possible policy compromise could involve duty-free access for verified, high-quality scrap alongside stronger testing, documentation and enforcement for lower-grade shipments. Such a system would address the recyclers’ feedstock shortage while responding to concerns over quality and dumping.

Recycling growth needs a secure feedstock base

India’s secondary aluminium sector already plays a significant role in automotive, construction, packaging and other manufacturing industries. Its expansion could reduce pressure on primary aluminium production and lower the energy intensity of metal supply, but only if recyclers can secure adequate raw material.

The sector’s dependence on imported scrap means that domestic recycling growth remains exposed to foreign export policies, freight costs, currency movements and Indian tariff rules. It also means that expanding recycling capacity alone will not solve the supply problem.

India will need better collection, sorting and recovery of end-of-life aluminium products alongside a clearer import policy. Until domestic scrap generation catches up with demand, imported material will remain essential to the country’s secondary aluminium industry.

Unlock key insights from industry experts on aluminium's applications in end-user with our magazine - Sustainability & Recycling: Aluminium's Dual Commitment

The importance of data in driving progress towards the circular packaging economy

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:10:00 +0530

Prior to the roll-out of extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR), the UK’s approach to capturing, recording and reporting recycling data had remained consistent for years. You had a denominator (market size) and a numerator (number of Packaging Recovery Notes [PRN/PERNs] issued), which provided a simple route to calculate the amount of material recycled against the total volume produced.

Although many would argue, myself included, that this approach was far from perfect, it provided clarity and uniformity for businesses and producers. Year after year, the industry used this system to analyse performance, track fluctuating tonnages and understand the short, medium and long-term impact of changing market dynamics.

However, with the UK packaging supply chain currently navigating widespread legislative change, including PRN reform, pEPR, Deposit Return Scheme, Simpler Recycling and Digital Waste Tracking, the way that recycling data is collected and measured is also being forced to evolve.

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Why do we need change?

While the faithful PRN system has served us well, it is not necessarily ‘future proof’ in its current form. By 2030, the UK waste management landscape will look fundamentally different, which means that the way in which we collect, manage and report recycling data must ultimately follow suit.

The system also has some widely recognised weaknesses, such as price volatility, the unlevel playing field between re-processors and exporters, and lack of transparency, some of which government has attempted to address through recent reforms (e.g. more stringent reporting requirements for exporters of packaging waste). However, many would argue that a deeper look at the system is warranted to consider how PRNs sit alongside EPR and other reforms as a price support and incentive mechanism for recycling, while also being the UK’s primary mechanism for measuring recycling performance.

Looking specifically at the 2026 PRN compliance year, recent reforms are impacting the availability of recycling evidence for some materials. While EPR has expanded the number of obligated businesses, the heightened reporting burden for PRN accreditation is actively discouraging re-processors and exporters from issuing evidence. Increased administrative burdens are putting smaller legitimate recyclers off PRN data reporting. This is recycling that is occurring, but not being captured in headline datapoints that the system’s success is measured against.

Despite this, PRN data remains the numerator, even though it no longer offers a reliable benchmark. Compounding the issue, the new PRN reporting system's delayed rollout effectively wiped out the first eight weeks of reporting, meaning 2026 figures will inevitably paint a skewed picture regardless of positive underlying recycling performance for most materials.

Most concerning of all, further shifts in the packaging landscape over the next 18 months, such as the removal of DRS beverage containers from PRN reporting, will leave the data even more convoluted and widely incomparable to previous years. In short, we’re transitioning from a simple, clear and consistent (if imperfect!) approach to measuring recycling performance to what is likely to become a far more complex picture.

A challenging period for data management

The true scale and complexity of the situation is starting to rear its ugly head. While most in the packaging recycling sector believe that recycling performance has remained relatively constant, Q1 2026 data tells a different story.

Indeed, the latest data for several materials suggests a performance in stark contrast to the same period in 2025. Elsewhere, other materials, such as aluminium, are proving to be more resilient, perhaps testament to robust supplies chains and intrinsic material value.

Explore why verification, traceability and carbon footprint reporting become essential in AL with our upcoming webinar by Alberto Monje Gama, Sustainability Policy Manager, TIC COUNCIL, on “Recycled aluminium, CBAM and trust: Why verification matters for Europe's circular economy”

Regardless, both recyclers and exporters across the material divides are reporting difficulties complying with the additional burdensome admin. Alupro and other industry experts believe that we’re not necessarily recycling less, but our national reporting is being warped by the way that new requirements (designed to increase trust and reduce volatility in the PRN system) have been implemented.

These aren’t immaterial numbers; they represent the fact that data accuracy itself has become a casualty of the reforms. The entire value chain relies on reliable data. Businesses need to see the intricacies of recycling performance, producers need to understand where their pEPR money is going and the wider waste sector needs a handle on how well packaging is being recycled. Without this clarity, the supply chain is left operating in the dark.

Unfortunately, thanks to these changes, its increasingly difficult to compare today’s PRN recycling performance against previous data. Indeed, a like-for-like comparison would be almost impossible.This poses a problem that needs a clear, practical solution. After all, how are we supposed to meet targets, embrace change and drive progress if we can’t measure the impact we’re having and the results we’re achieving?

Identifying an effective solution

Despite often being taken for granted, data is fundamentally important to the UK packaging supply chain, guiding improved recycling rates and driving progress towards a more circular packaging economy. Without data, we’re effectively shooting from the hip, guessing and hoping that the measures we’re putting in place and the decisions we’re making are delivering positive, proactive change.

The solution lies in collaboration. Industry and government must work together to come up with a robust measurement standard that helps us to navigate this complex period of change and steers us towards calmer waters.

Importantly, the approach shouldn’t be complicated. The comparative beauty of the previous system was its simplicity. It wasn’t difficult or expensive, it was easy and representative. This proved key to its longevity and value.

We need to tackle the issue head on. As an industry, we need to be able to track recycling performance properly and understand what’s happening on the ground – this is key to hitting long-term recycling targets. Crucially, robust and transparent recycling data is essential to properly inform, support and refine ongoing packaging reforms. Without it, we risk building future policy on a foundation of guesswork.

To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the construction sector, explore our report "Global Aluminium Casting Market 2026-2032: Plant Economics, Alloy Segmentation, Pricing Intelligence, Supply Chain Analysis & Strategic Recommendations"

Note: This article has been issued by Alupro and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data.

More US aluminium scrap heads to Asia amid domestic supply concerns

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:30:00 +0530

The United States exported about 1.25 million tonnes of aluminium-bearing scrap in the first half of 2026, up 21 per cent from 1.03 million tonnes during the same period last year.

The figures, based on US Census Bureau data cited by Davis Index, show that more recycled aluminium is leaving the country even as domestic producers and policymakers debate whether the material should be retained to support US supply chains.

Thailand and India lead purchases

Thailand was the largest destination for US aluminium scrap in the first six months of 2026, receiving 268,000 tonnes. India followed with 233,350 tonnes, while Malaysia, South Korea and Hong Kong rounded out the top five destinations with 160,700 tonnes, 139,500 tonnes and 136,200 tonnes respectively.

All five markets increased their purchases from the United States compared with the first half of 2025: Hong Kong rose up 51 per cent with South Korea right behind them at 38 per cent, following is India up 28 per cent then Malaysia and Thailand up 10 per cent and 8 per cent respectively.

The figures show growing demand from Asian recycling and secondary aluminium markets. However, the destination data does not always indicate where the material is finally processed.

Hong Kong has little furnace capacity of its own, meaning some scrap shipped there may be transshipped to mainland China. Chinese sorting companies and secondary aluminium producers have also established operations in Thailand and Malaysia. This suggests that some US scrap shipped to Southeast Asia could eventually support Chinese-linked industrial production, although the final destination of individual shipments cannot be confirmed from the export figures alone.

To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the construction sector, explore our report "Global Aluminium Casting Market 2026-2032: Plant Economics, Alloy Segmentation, Pricing Intelligence, Supply Chain Analysis & Strategic Recommendations"

Supply concerns grow

The rise in exports has intensified calls for the United States to retain more aluminium scrap at home.

The Aluminum Association describes aluminium scrap as a strategic asset and says the United States exports about 2 million tonnes annually, representing more than one-quarter of its total scrap supply. The association argues that retaining more scrap could strengthen domestic recycling, manufacturing and supply security.

The Secondary Aluminum Coalition for America has also raised concerns about the export trend. A spokesperson said the coalition was formed to address the current aluminium supply shortage and that scrap leaving the United States is contributing to the problem.

Recycled aluminium is an important source of feedstock for secondary metal production. Industry groups say greater access to domestic scrap could help US recyclers produce more aluminium while reducing dependence on imported primary metal and other raw materials.

The debate comes as the United States considers policies aimed at securing critical material supply chains. Supporters of export controls argue that valuable scrap should remain available for domestic manufacturers, while exporters and overseas buyers rely on international trade to move material to facilities equipped to sort and process it.

For now, the first-half figures point to a continued increase in US aluminium scrap exports, led by Thailand and India. The trend is likely to remain a focus of policy discussions over whether the country should prioritise open trade or reserve more recycled aluminium for domestic use.

To explore trade opportunities of secondary aluminium, visit AL Biz

420 billion cans, one 20-year-old fix: The Six Sigma Case for can-to-can recycling

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:40:00 +0530

New IAI data show that closing the can-to-can loop, not simply collecting more cans, will decide whether the industry produces 207 billion or 685 billion recycled cans by 2050. A Six Sigma study from Kentucky, co-authored nearly two decades ago by Dr Subodh K. Das, offers a strikingly relevant blueprint for treating every unrecycled can as a preventable process defect.

Aluminium's most-quoted recycling statistic keeps getting bigger, but a new analysis from the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) suggests that scale alone will not decide how much of that metal comes back as new cans.

According to the IAI’s September 2025 factsheet, "Can-to-Can Recycling: Performance, Potential and Pathways," the industry currently puts around 420 billion aluminium beverage cans on the market every year.

At today’s can-to-can recycling rate of 33 per cent, recycling that base of cans repeatedly through to 2050 would generate roughly 207 billion new cans. Lift the can-to-can rate to 62 per cent, achievable, the IAI argues, largely through better sorting and remelting practice rather than new technology, and the same 420 billion cans could yield 685 billion new cans.

Push on to 95 per cent circularity, with near-universal collection, recycling-friendly alloy design and consistently clean scrap, and the number approaches six trillion.

The gap between those scenarios is not really a story about how recyclable aluminium is. Aluminium can be remelted indefinitely without loss of quality, and the industry has known this for decades. The gap is a story about process, about exactly where, between a used can leaving a consumer’s hand and a new one leaving a mill, material falls out of the can-to-can loop.

To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the construction sector, explore our report "Global Aluminium Casting Market 2026-2032"

A familiar diagnosis, twenty years on

That framing will sound familiar to Dr Subodh K. Das. In 2006, Das and co-author Margaret Hughes published “Improving Aluminum Can Recycling Rates: A Six Sigma Study in Kentucky” in JOM, describing what was then the first attempt to apply formal process-improvement methodology to aluminium can recycling.

Working with Secat Inc. and the University of Kentucky’s Center for a Sustainable Aluminum Industry, the study treated every can that went unrecycled as a “defect” in a measurable process — mapping the journey from household to recycling centre and pinpointing exactly where cans were being lost, from curbside bin access and pickup reliability to the historically low recycling participation of 18-29-year-olds.

The scale and the context were different; the study responded to a decline in U.S. beverage can recycling from 67 per cent in 1992 to 50 per cent in 2003, and back then any recycling counted as success. But the underlying insight is the same one the IAI’s 2025 data is now making at global scale: an unrecycled can is not an unfortunate accident. It is a defined, measurable process failure, and process failures can be engineered out.

A more granular funnel

What has changed since 2006 is the resolution of the diagnosis. The Fayette County study was concerned mainly with getting cans into the recycling stream in the first place. The IAI’s 2025 data effectively treats collection as the solved part of the problem — globally, 71 per cent of cans placed on the market are recycled in some form, and instead exposes losses further downstream, after a can has already reached a recycling facility.

Two findings stand out. First, only 47 per cent of recycled cans currently go back into new cans, even though the IAI estimates 87 per cent could, using existing alloys and remelter operations, with no new technology required.

In simpler terms, roughly half of the shortfall between today’s 33 per cent can-to-can rate and the achievable 62 per cent is not a collection problem or a technology problem — it is closer to a sorting-and-logistics problem. Second, more than a fifth of recycled cans are downcycled into products such as engine blocks, where incompatible alloys prevent the metal from ever returning to can stock.

In Six Sigma terms, the defect identified in Kentucky in 2006 sat mainly in the Measure and Analyze phases at the front end of the process: cans not entering the system at all. The defect the IAI has now quantified sits closer to the Improve and Control phases, further down the line: cans entering the system but exiting it at the wrong point, into the wrong product stream, because the process map from collection bin to can-body stock was never fully closed. It is, in effect, the same DMAIC discipline applied one stage further down the value chain.

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Why the regional data reinforces the point

The IAI’s country-level figures show these are genuinely separate variables, not two names for the same thing. The United States has a closed-loop can-to-can rate of 97 per cent, almost every can that does get recycled becomes a can again, yet its overall recycling rate is only 43 per cent, meaning most cans never reach a facility at all. That is a collection problem, exactly the kind the 2006 Kentucky study was built to address. Thailand, by contrast, recycles a large majority of its cans, with 72 per cent of those returning directly to can stock. Vietnam collects reasonably well but loses ground specifically to export duties and missing domestic infrastructure — a downstream, structural loss rather than a consumer-behaviour one.

Three countries, three different points of failure in the same funnel. A single national campaign to “recycle more” will not fix all three; each needs its own process map, in the spirit of the one first built for Fayette County.

The next twenty-five years

The distance between 207 billion and 685 billion recycled cans by 2050 is, on the IAI’s own telling, largely achievable with tools the industry already has: better sorting of used beverage cans (UBCs), alloy design that keeps body and lid stock compatible with remelting, and policy that discourages scrap leakage across borders. None of it requires reinventing aluminium’s chemistry. What it requires is the kind of granular, point-by-point process discipline that a small Kentucky county applied to its own recycling bins nearly twenty years ago, now scaled to a 420-billion-can global supply chain.

Unlock key insights from industry experts on aluminium's applications in end-user with our magazine - Sustainability & Recycling: Aluminium's Dual Commitment

Note: This is exclusive coverage by AL Circle and may not be reproduced, republished or shared without prior permission.

High raw material prices provide support alongside off-season inventory buildup, secondary aluminium price range under pressure

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:30:00 +0530

Aluminium scrap: This week, China's aluminium scrap market prices consolidated in a narrow range alongside primary aluminium, and the price difference between A00 aluminium and aluminium scrap widened again as aluminium scrap struggled to catch up. On August 13, SMM A00 spot aluminium prices closed at RMB 24,120 per tonne, up RMB 320 per tonne from last Thursday.

In terms of price differences, on August 13, the price difference between A00 aluminium and mixed aluminium extrusion scrap free of paint in Foshan was about RMB 2,310 per tonne, and the price difference between A00 aluminium and shredded aluminium tense scrap was about RMB 1,210 per tonne, both widening again W-o-W.

Against a backdrop of persistently rising primary aluminium prices, aluminium scrap price fluctuations were relatively limited, and the price transmission mechanism was blocked, mainly constrained by two factors: First, downstream secondary aluminium alloy demand weakened at the margin; with high-temperature holidays combined with the traditional consumption off-season, operating rates at cast aluminium alloy enterprises continued to decline and order volumes shrank.

Second, high inventories of wrought aluminium alloy scrap raw materials such as doors and windows in Henan and other regions weakened the elasticity of aluminium scrap price increases. In addition, supply-side constraints from the “reverse invoicing” policy continued, and the scarcity of compliant, invoice-bearing aluminium scrap provided bottom support for aluminium scrap prices.

Import side, this week, imported shredded aluminium zorba prices at Ningbo port were lowered from RMB 21,970 per tonne to RMB 21,770 per tonne (tax-inclusive), while those at Tianjin port declined from RMB 22,020 per tonne to RMB 21,820 per tonne (tax-inclusive). Recently, the import window improved compared with earlier, traders' inquiries and buying interest increased, and cargoes are expected to arrive gradually in mid-to-late August, which should improve import supply in the short term.

At present, high-temperature holidays have not yet ended; downstream cast aluminium alloy enterprises are maintaining low operating rates, and order recovery still needs time. Scrap utilisation enterprises are likely to continue their purchase-as-needed, low-inventory strategy, while a concentrated restocking cycle still needs to wait.

Notably, the price difference between A00 aluminium and shredded aluminium tense scrap has now widened to RMB 1,210 per tonne, and aluminium scrap's cost advantage over primary aluminium has recovered somewhat. In the short term, the aluminium scrap market is expected to continue moving sideways at high levels, with weak end-use demand remaining the core factor weighing on prices.

Secondary aluminium alloy:

This week, ADC12 prices rose first and then fell, edging up to RMB 24,400 per tonne early in the week, then pulling back to RMB 24,200 per tonne in the middle-to-late part of the week. The overall price centre was little changed W-o-W. Cost side, aluminium scrap prices moved sideways overall this week, and production costs changed little.

However, aluminium scrap prices remained at relatively high levels, providing support for ADC12 prices and limiting downside room. At the same time, policy uncertainty persisted, compliant aluminium scrap purchases remained restricted, and enterprises still faced high difficulty in procuring raw materials.

Demand side, downstream remained in the consumption off-season; some enterprises were on high-temperature holidays or maintained reduced-load production. End-use consumption was weak, market purchases were mainly need-based, and spot transactions were sluggish.

Supply side, operating rates among leading secondary aluminium enterprises showed mixed performance this week, edging lower overall and remaining at low levels for the same period. In addition to raw material constraints and weakening demand, high temperatures, typhoons, and heavy rain also disrupted production to some extent, limiting production release.

Social inventory showed a phased inflection point, as China's cast aluminium alloy ingot social inventory was 25,500 tonnes this week, up 1,500 tonnes W-o-W, ending ten consecutive weeks of destocking. On one hand, weak off-season demand put warehouse withdrawals under pressure; on the other hand, the spot-futures price spread weakened and futures stayed in contango, so spot-futures arbitrage traders became more willing to buy on dips, shifting some cargoes from the spot market to social inventory.

Import side, overseas ADC12 offers rose to USD 3,090-3,120 per tonne, and immediate import losses widened again to more than RMB 1,000 per tonne, with the import window remaining closed. ADC12 prices are expected to continue moving sideways in the short term.

On one hand, elevated compliant raw material prices, low domestic operating rates for the same period, and the closed import window will continue to provide cost and supply-side support for prices, limiting downside room; on the other hand, weak end-use demand during the high-temperature off-season and renewed social inventory buildup mean the spot market lacks demand-driven momentum for sustained price increases. Therefore, any short-term price rise still needs to wait for a substantial improvement in end-use consumption.

Note: This article has been issued by SMM and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data.

Germany recycled 75kt of building aluminium scrap through AUF network in 2023

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:03:00 +0530

A new report by German industry organisation Aluminium und Umwelt im Fenster- und Fassadenbau (AUF), prepared in partnership with European Aluminium, highlights the progress of closed-loop aluminium recycling in Germany's building sector. The study focuses on aluminium scrap generated from windows, doors and façade systems, and examines how more material can be kept within the construction industry through recycling.

According to the 28-page report, AUF collected 75,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap in 2023 through its recycling network. The organisation said its members include construction companies, window and façade manufacturers, system suppliers, demolition firms, architects and planners. The collection system is supported by “Seventeen environmental partners and processors, with a total of around 300 collection points” across Germany.

The report estimates that Germany's building sector generated around 130,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap in 2023. More than one-quarter of this volume came from manufacturers of metal products, windows and façades.

To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the construction sector, explore our report "Global Aluminium Casting Market 2026-2032: Plant Economics, Alloy Segmentation, Pricing Intelligence, Supply Chain Analysis & Strategic Recommendations"

AUF said, “The recorded increase in post-consumer scrap is primarily due to the stronger return flow of aluminium building products that have reached the end of their service life.” They added, “Nearly one-quarter of the remelted scrap volume in 2023 was used in areas outside the building sector.”

According to AUF, the organisation's collection network accounted for about 54 per cent of all aluminium scrap generated by Germany's building sector in 2023. The report also states, “Due to the high value of aluminium scrap, recycling rates of almost 100 per cent are achieved in Germany.”

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The study estimates that around 70 per cent of aluminium scrap from building products is processed and remelted in Germany before being returned to the market as secondary extrusion billets or rolling ingots. Of this, approximately 83,700 tonnes are recycled back into new building products, helping maintain a closed material loop within the construction sector.

The organisation stated that one of its long-term objectives is to increase the amount of recycled aluminium that returns to construction applications.

Recommerce to host ITAD & WEEE Global Leaders Meet 2026 in New Delhi, India

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0530

Recommerce has announced the ITAD & WEEE Global Leaders Meet 2026, scheduled for 5–6 October 2026 at The Lalit, New Delhi. The event is positioned as the world’s largest annual gathering dedicated to IT asset disposition, e-waste management, and circular electronics innovation, bringing together over 1,000 professionals from 10+ countries.

According to the organisers, the meet will convene “policymakers, OEMs, ITAD providers, recyclers, technology innovators, and sustainability leaders” to address the growing challenges of electronic waste and end-of-life assets.

The two-day program will feature:

Keynote addresses from global thought leaders.
Panel discussions on repairability, refurbishment, and circular design.
Industry case studies showcasing scalable solutions.
Networking opportunities to foster collaboration across the electronics value chain.

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Key focus areas include secure data destruction, refurbishment and reuse, circular electronics, repairability, critical mineral recovery, battery and solar PV recycling, EPR, and resource efficiency.

By strengthening collaboration between government and industry, the Global Leaders Meet aims to accelerate the transition from traditional e-waste management toward circular, secure, and resource-efficient electronics ecosystems.

Event: ITAD & WEEE Global Leaders Meet 2026
Date: 5–6 October 2026
Location: The Lalit, New Delhi, India

Note: This article has been issued by ITAD & WEEE and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data.