Post-consumer scrap to premium packaging: Constellium's aluminium coils shine at Crown

Constellium, a global leader in aluminium solutions and recycling, has reached a significant sustainability milestone with its newly inaugurated aluminium recycling centre in Neuf-Brisach. The facility has successfully produced its first aluminium coils made primarily from post-consumer scrap, which Crown, a world leader in metal packaging, has now qualified.

Following rigorous testing at Crown's manufacturing facilities in France and Spain, the aluminium coils received approval for use in beverage cans. This achievement underscores both companies' shared commitment to advancing sustainable practices and reducing their environmental footprints.

Constellium’s qualification by Crown marks a significant milestone, showcasing the company’s dedication to delivering high-quality recycled aluminium solutions while advancing its customers’ sustainability objectives. The new recycling centre in Neuf-Brisach enhances Constellium’s recycling capabilities by adding 130,000 tonnes of annual capacity. This expansion brings the company’s global recycling capacity to approximately 735,000 tonnes, spread across its state-of-the-art facilities in Europe and North America.

John Rost, Senior Vice President – Crown Technology, Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs, said, “We are delighted with the development of this new recycling centre that brings more Used Beverage Cans recycling capacity to the market, aligning with our ongoing commitment toward circularity."

“Using these coils within our production fosters higher levels of recycled content in our products and helps fulfill the sustainability goals established in our Twentyby30™ program."

Across our value chain partnerships, we continuously look to support the can industry and its commitment to increasing can collection, namely through implementing Deposit Return Systems (DRS) in our markets to drive a stronger circular economy.”

Ingrid Joerg, Constellium's Chief Operating Officer, said, "We are grateful to Crown for their long-term partnership and support."

"By enhancing our recycling capabilities and collaborating with trusted partners like Crown, we are making significant strides towards reducing carbon emissions and driving circularity in the packaging market."

Crown's endorsement reflects its commitment to sourcing responsibly and aligns with its broader sustainability objectives. By integrating recycled aluminium into its production processes, Crown supports resource conservation and contributes to the global effort to minimise carbon emissions in the packaging sector.

This collaboration underscores both companies' commitment to advancing the circular economy by significantly reducing reliance on primary aluminium production through large-scale recycling initiatives. Additional qualifications with other customers are anticipated to follow.

Recycled aluminium: Usage by end-use

AL Circle’s industry-focused report, “World Recycled ALuminium Market Analysis Industry Forecast to 2030,” revealed that in 2020, amongst the various applications of recycled aluminium, can stock was the only one to witness growth. Demand from most other applications declined in 2020, while the demand from the steel sector for aluminium pellets remained stable during the year. Recycled aluminium demand from many of the end-use sectors is expected to recover by late 2021.

In 2021, there was an overall increase in global recycled aluminium usage. The castings segment witnessed a significant recovery, reaching 13.21 million tonnes, while canstock, pellet for steel, and other applications also demonstrated growth, with 4.87, 3.61, and 4.30 million tonnes, respectively.

These trends continued in 2022, with the castings segment reaching 13.82 million tonnes, canstock at 5.11 million tonnes, pellet for steel at 3.71 million tonnes, and other applications at 4.52 tonnes. The year 2022 signifies an important point in the data, as it sets the stage for forecasting the future of recycled aluminium usage by end-use segments.

Gain valuable insights into the global aluminium recycling market, including regional consumption trends and detailed analysis of end-use segments. Don't miss out—secure your copy of the report today!

Top image credit: Constellium Press Release