The demand for recycled aluminium has been steadily increasing for several years. The high demand is now being met by a limited availability of recycled material.
Over the past ten years, the global aluminium aerosol can industry has made a name for itself due to its functional, consumer-oriented and environmentally friendly performance. Average growth rate of around 3.5 per cent achieved. Aluminium is also increasingly in demand in other high-volume end consumer markets such as the automotive and construction industries.
The demand for aluminium products containing recycled material has been steadily increasing for several years, leading to a situation in which high demand meets limited availability of recycled material. This is because the overall aluminium market is growing and the metal is often tied up in products (e.g. in cars and buildings) for decades before it is available for recycling. The fact is that today only around 30 percent of the world's aluminium demand is covered by recycled material can be realised.
Limited availability of recycled aluminium
Regardless of whether scrap is generated before or after the consumer stage (so-called pre- or post-consumer scrap), recycled aluminium is available in all end consumer markets. In short supply; not to mention high-purity scrap that meets the high requirements for the production of aluminium aerosol cans.
„Despite everything, the aluminium aerosol can industry has risen to the occasion and accepted this challenge. Thanks to the constructive cooperation of the supply chain partners, new alloys can now not only be used to produce significantly lighter cans, but they can also contain a defined amount of recycled aluminium. This improves the environmental compatibility of the finished can without compromising the functionality or safety of the can in any way.“ Leopold Werdich, Aerobal President
„In this context, a Transparent documentation of recycling material flows The use of recycled material in the value chain, which clearly shows what type of recycled material has ended up in the can, is of crucial importance. Any greenwashing would damage the aluminium aerosol can industry and its customers and jeopardise the excellent reputation of aluminium as a material,“ adds Aerobal-Secretary General Gregor Spengler added.
Customers can choose from the various recycling material options as long as the desired recycling material is available in the required specification. But even if Not enough recycled aluminium available for everyone If the demand for aluminium is high - which is likely to be the case under current conditions - both primary and recycled aluminium is a so-called permanent material that can be recycled almost endlessly without any loss of quality thanks to its inherent material properties. This distinguishes aluminium positively from many other packaging materials.
What really counts in the end is the Closing the material cycle, so that no aluminium is lost along the way, wherever it was used. In this context, it is very helpful that aluminium is the packaging material with the highest scrap value, providing a compelling incentive to collect and recycle it. In addition, increasingly sophisticated collection and sorting technologies in packaging waste management systems around the world are helping to increase the quantity and quality of recycled materials.
SourceAerobal
