Aluminium scrap: Much done, much to do

There is widespread recognition that aluminium scrap will play a vital role in lowering the carbon intensity of the aluminium value chain. However, increasing the usage of scrap will not be a straight-line process. The complexity and wide range of alloying materials as well as the varying levels of contaminants makes the collection, sorting and processing of scrap challenging. At the same time government regulations towards the scrap industry will continue to alter trade flows and the economics of the wider scrap sector. In this Insight we provide an overview of the aluminium scrap value chain. We assess the critical factors required to enhance the adoption of scrap within the aluminium industry. While the aluminium industry has made great strides over the past decade in increasing the use of scrap, there is much left to do.