The aluminium industry is undergoing a significant transformation, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, where recycling plays a vital role, making it a top priority for producers and consumers. The industry's focus has shifted towards implementing eco-friendly practices and embracing circular economy principles. This strategic shift reflects a commitment to reducing environmental impact, conserving resources, and promoting the responsible use and disposal of aluminium products. With a shared vision of a greener future, the aluminium supply chain stakeholders are collaborating to create a more sustainable and environmentally-conscious industry.
Green energy, carbon footprint, energy optimisation, sustainability, low carbon, recycled products and net zero have become the most discussed issues in almost every sector, including the aluminium business. The aluminium recycling sector is vital to the industry's continued success (economic, technological, and environmental). With a rising concern for the environment and a focus on carbon neutrality, significant aluminium leaders and businesses are working to create a sustainability roadmap for the sector, while organisations are making efforts to celebrate their accomplishments. Top companies like Hydro, Amcor, Rio Tinto, Emirates, Alcor, etc., are leaving no stone unturned to shift towards a sustainable industry. In 2022, global aluminium consumption, including primary and recycled metal, climbed by around 1.9% to 95.3 million tonnes. During the previous decade, the demand for recycled aluminium had also significantly increased. While total demand for aluminium is expected to rise by 1.8% in 2023, demand for recycled aluminium is expected to rise by 4.2%. The global use of recycled aluminium grew from 26 million tonnes in 2021 to 27.1 tonnes in 2022. The consumption is predicted to exceed 28 million tonnes by 2023. The primary aluminium producers have also invested in establishing recycling facilities and are expanding their capacity. Alcoa, Hydro, Novelis, Constellium, and other significant businesses have closed-loop scrap-collecting partnerships with their clients. More post-consumer scrap (end-of-life) aluminium products are being used in the US and European markets, which is expected to continue in the future.
Similarly, demand for recycled aluminium is increasing in emerging nations, with significant companies investing in establishing recycling facilities. Recycling is becoming more of a need than a cause of concern in today's world, fraught with problems, including a growing population, more pollution, higher energy prices, and dwindling supplies of raw materials. Aluminium is one of the few metals that can be recycled indefinitely without degrading quality. Recycling aluminium furthers the goals of sustainability and stewardship, which demand accountability from manufacturers for their products' effects on human and environmental health and safety.
{alcircleadd}Amcor launches its new sustainability program called TRANSPARENCE
Amcor, a leading global provider of innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for consumer goods in industries as diverse as food and beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, and home/personal care, has launched TRANSPARENCE. This new sustainability programme provides Wine and Spirits businesses with clarity and certainty about sustainability actions.
TRANSPARENCE is a continuous improvement project focusing on environmental effects, through which Amcor Capsules will set clear data-driven objectives and actions to offer more sustainable closures and capsules. Independent and certified third parties will review and recognise all programming progress and successes. TRANSPARENCE, as a continuous development and 'live' effort, will function closely with its partners and third parties, according to the company, and will offer regular updates on progress, accomplishments, and new goals.
The sustainability program highlighted the three strategic pillars:
Reduce - This commits the company to reduce its carbon footprint by 18% by 2025 compared to 2020 through initiatives such as incorporating more recycled aluminium, achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through its Science-based Targets initiative (SBTi), and reducing the use of secondary packaging.
Recycle - For "Recycle," it will strengthen its 96% recycle-ready portfolio, promising to make all of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. The remaining 4% will be transformed via research and development, and all product developments will be built on a solid eco-design base. In addition, the firm will work with independent third parties to certify the recyclability credentials of all product categories.
Finally, "Respect" will ensure that the corporation respects the environment as part of its plan. To create a shorter transportation chain, all capsule factories, for example, generate zero production waste and are located in historic wine and spirits-producing zones. In response to demands from customers, investors, rating agencies, and the general public, Amcor will also disclose safety and sustainability information about its operational area.
Yannick Magnon, General Manager of Amcor Capsules, said, "Transparence is a strong commitment that directly supports Wine and Spirits brands and distributors. It is our commitment to continue to offer stronger sustainable solutions in the future, with corresponding environmental impacts and improvements independently verified and certified in the most transparent way. With such a public pledge, we aim to build trust and understanding, and improve standards of sustainability in our industry."
To know more: https://www.alcircle.com/news/amcor-raises-its-sustainability-game-with-the-new-transparence-initiative-97597
Toyota promotes the circular economy by recycling 99% of its automobile components
Toyota marked World Recycling Day on May 17 by emphasising the significance of recycling to the environment and its decarbonisation agenda. Toyota has been pushing car recycling since 2003 with an easily accessible collection and separation procedure, resulting in the reuse of 99% of their vehicles' materials. This is made possible by Toyota Metal, their recycling firm. This project is an essential aspect of their 2050 Environment Challenge, which seeks to promote a recycling-based society and systems throughout the globe. By 2030, they want to establish 30 facilities to treat and recycle destroyed automobiles.
Toyota Motor North America increased their battery recycling programme to include lithium batteries in 2019, where they repair and disassemble batteries to reuse their components to manufacture new ones. Toyota Metal, based in Japan, was founded in 1970 and holds the potential to recover 400 tonnes of car resources every day, which is comparable to the weight of 10 average-sized aeroplanes.
Toyota's key to a successful recycling process is in the composition of their automobiles, which allows for the recycling of 99% of their components. Toyota's metal recycling procedure consists of multiple phases. To begin, all liquids are strained. Then, using heavy gear, useable elements like bumpers and doors are removed. The leftover metal is flattened and sent to a recycling facility. Nonferrous metals such as aluminium, copper, gold, and silver are also removed. Aluminium is 100% recyclable, which helps Toyota's cause even more. To finish recycling, the new metal mix is pulverised to eliminate superfluous metal. Toyota's superior technology and attention guarantee that the vehicle is resurrected.
To know more: https://www.alcircle.com/news/toyota-evokes-circular-economy-by-recycling-99-of-its-car-parts-94986
Niche Fusina leads sustainability with 100% low-carbon aluminium
Starting in September 2023, Niche Fusina Rolled Products (Fusina), one of the world's foremost makers of industrial rolled aluminium products, has pledged to source 100% of its raw aluminium from environmentally aware suppliers using low-carbon practices. However, according to the information from Italy, Concord Resources Limited will support this responsible sourcing, and CarbonChain will provide specific carbon footprints for the procured aluminium to assure transparency and accuracy.
CarbonChain is based on the world's most recognised carbon accounting systems and standards. CarbonChain develops technologies to allow data-driven climate action across global supply chains. However, the commercial and financial sectors need strong, comprehensive, valuable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data to identify their most important effects and dangers and take meaningful action. The organisation is filling this vacuum, which provides corporations and financial institutions with the tools and knowledge they need to control their emissions and establish lower-carbon supply chains.
Niche Fusina, an Italian firm headquartered in the industrial district of Fusina near Venice, is taking an innovative approach to reducing the carbon footprint of its custom-made coils, sheets, and plates. Using this technology, they want to provide lower-carbon solutions to consumers, particularly industrial firms. This move follows Fusina's recent implementation of its carbon transparency plan, which ensures that all customers across several markets get precise product carbon footprint statistics. Prospective purchasers might also request access to these educational records.
Crown Holdings’ two facilities in Thailand achieves ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certifications
Crown Holdings, Inc.'s two beverage can manufacturing plants in Nong Khae District, Thailand, have received Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certifications from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative. Crown Bevcan and Closures (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and Crown TCP Beverage Cans Company Limited have been certified to produce aluminium cans for the food and beverage packaging industries. Crown Bevcan and Closures can produce 1.2 billion units annually, whereas Crown TCP can produce 820 million. Crown's businesses in Brazil and Mexico have previously received Performance Standard Certifications. LiberoAssurance performed an impartial, third-party audit of Crown Holdings, Inc. facilities. Because the audit occurred before May 31, 2023, the facilities got ASI Performance Standard V2 Certifications. The ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) establishes 59 criteria across three sustainability pillars: Environment, Social, and Governance, covering critical concerns such as biodiversity, labour rights, Indigenous Peoples' rights, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer at ASI, said, “We warmly congratulate Crown Holdings, Inc. for achieving Performance Standard Certification at two of its plants in Thailand. By training employees around vital sustainability areas such as biodiversity, safety, and human rights, Crown is driving positive change within its operations. Through this latest Certification in Thailand, Crown is extending its commitment to responsible practices and we look forward to the company’s continued pursuit of ASI Certification across its global operations.”
Stora Enso and Tetra Pack open a new €29 million carton recycling facility in Poland
Poland recently received a new €29 million recycling plant geared at post-consumer beverage cartons, with the potential to more than treble the country's average recycling capacity to an astonishing 75,000 tonnes. Tetra Pak and Stora Enso, two well-known packaging industry pioneers, created the Ostrołęka factory. It holds the power to recycle all beverage cartons sold in Poland and nearby countries. Stora Enso is responsible for sorting the carton contents and recycling the fibres into high-quality cardboard products.
Plastigram Industries, which works with Tetra Pak to recycle polyAl, a blend of plastic (polyethene) and aluminium, into new goods, was also housed inside the plant. This is a great endeavour to establish a circular economy around the companies' trademark cartons so that less is transported to landfills each year, where decomposing may take centuries. Furthermore, since plastic is a non-decomposable substance, material separation is critical. The plastic, cardboard, and thin aluminium coating impede normal biodegradation.
“We are very pleased to see the results of our close cooperation with Tetra Pak, who, like Stora Enso, has the development of sustainable solutions at their core. This new modern solution marks a significant addition to European recycling capacity and a concrete step forward in the circularity of consumer packaging. In addition to complementing the current scope of our production site in Poland, the recycling facility will significantly contribute towards the recycling and waste reduction goals of the EU’s proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation,” said Hannu Kasurinen, the Executive Vice President, Packaging Materials Division at Stora Enso.
According to the companies' declarations, Stora Enso and Tetra Pack anticipate an increased recycling rate once the facility optimises. Because the packaging sector is so tightly knit, both packaging companies are highly hopeful about this initiative.
To know more: https://www.alcircle.com/news/stora-enso-and-tetra-pack-deploy-a-new-29-million-carton-recycling-facility-in-poland-96397
Rio Tinto to build hydrogen plant with Sumitomo
Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian metals and mining corporation, plans to establish a trial hydrogen plant in Gladstone and adapt an alumina refinery to replace natural gas consumption with clean hydrogen for the alumina refining process. Sumitomo Corporation, a Fortune 500 global trade and business investment firm, will assist with the project. The initiative is part of the Yarwun Hydrogen Calcination Pilot Demonstration Programme, valued at A$111.1 million and aims to minimise carbon emissions from alumina production. Rio and Sumitomo will construct a 2.5 MW on-site electrolyser to feed hydrogen to the Yarwun refinery in Gladstone, Queensland. They will modify one of Yarwun's four calciners to function with a hydrogen burner.
“This pilot plant is an important step in testing whether hydrogen can replace natural gas in Queensland alumina refineries. At Rio Tinto, we have put the energy transition at the heart of our business strategy, and this is one of the ways we’re working towards decarbonising our operations. We are proud to be developing this new technology here in Gladstone, in partnership with Sumitomo Corporation, and with support from ARENA,” said Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific Operations Managing Director Armando Torres.
On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) had already approved A$32.1 million in financing for Rio and Sumitomo to test the use of hydrogen in the calcination process, which heats hydrated alumina to 1,000 degrees Celsius. If the study is successful, carbon emissions will be reduced by around 3,000 tonnes per year while generating approximately 6,000 tonnes of alumina. If the whole refinery is converted to green hydrogen, it will release 500,000 tonnes less carbon dioxide per year. The experimental hydrogen plant will begin construction in 2024 and is projected to be operational by 2025. Sumitomo will own and operate the electrolyzer at the Yarwun facility, directly supplying Rio Tinto with hydrogen. The electrolyzer will have a yearly capacity of more than 250 tonnes hydrogen.
Jamestrong to use SMaRT@UNSW recycling technology for production
Jamestrong, a renowned Australasian can manufacturer with Taree factories, is collaborating with the UNSW Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT@UNSW) to make aerosol cans utilising recycling technology developed by the University. The collaboration intends to use any kind of everyday and essential post-consumer trash as a raw material for creating aerosol cans, such as contact lens cases or food packaging. It just takes 12 hours to make aerosol cans out of aluminium post-consumer scrap. After extensive trial and error and real-world testing, Jamestrong hopes to completely operational the recycling process by the end of 2024. This initiative is projected to increase the workforce at Jamestrong's Taree facility by 20%, benefiting the local economy and job creation. Every year, Jamestrong's Taree factories produce 105 million aluminium cans.
FCR researchers design innovative system for recycling aluminium waste using solar radiation
Fraunhofer Chile Research (FCR), one of the first research institutes of Corfo's Programme for the Attraction of International Centres of Excellence, was founded in 2010 and is developing a solar concentration system to aid in the recycling of aluminium trash. The project will be funded by the government agency Corfo's Crea y Valida Fund, which aims to create and evaluate a solar thermal concentration system capable of achieving and sustaining temperatures sufficient for smelting aluminium for recycling.
Fraunhofer had spent years exploring solar heat in industrial processes, creating numerous methods for replacing fossil fuels with solar thermal technology. The main aluminium production industry produces 1,100 million tonnes of greenhouse gases yearly, accounting for 2% of world emissions. Traditional recycling, on the other hand, reduces the energy needed for the process by 95%.
"We have designed a compact, simple and innovative system that will allow solar radiation to be reflected at a focal point and melt common aluminum waste directly in it, without a heat transfer fluid, with solar thermal energy. Despite this, the metal recycling process produces emissions, releasing half a tonne of CO2 equivalent into the environment for each tonne of recovered aluminium, smelting the material using the most energy,” said the project coordinator, Iván Muñoz Hernández.
Despite this, the metal recycling process emits pollutants, releasing half a tonne of CO2 equivalent into the environment for every tonne of recovered aluminium, smelting the material using the greatest energy. Mara Teresa Cerda, Fraunhofer Chile's deputy director and Leader of Solar Thermal Systems, added that the project's technical success will allow the validation of a solar concentration design to help free dependence on fossil fuels in the smelting process, directly supporting the industry's decarbonisation, and collaborating to create a new technique that does not exist in the country or the world. This pilot would be able to demonstrate a completely novel strategy for achieving a more circular economy.
Emirates launch 'Closed-Loop Onboard Waste Recycling System' for the aviation industry
The aviation sector now puts a high value on environmental sustainability. Airlines throughout the globe are making considerable efforts towards sustainable aviation to reduce their carbon footprint and embrace eco-friendly practices. Emirates, one of the world's largest airlines, implemented an innovative waste management method, the closed-loop recycling system. This system collects, processes, and reuses recyclable materials to manage trash created during flights. Plastic bottles, aluminium cans, food packaging, and other disposable products contributed significantly to waste generated by air travel. Unfortunately, most of this garbage was sent to landfills, further degrading the ecosystem. Emirates introduced the closed-loop recycling system after seeing the need for an effective and sustainable trash management system aboard its aircraft.
On Emirates aircraft, garbage is separated strictly, and the cabin staff collects and saves waste for processing. Trained staff sorts materials in a specialist facility before transporting recyclables to recycling hubs, enhancing recycling capacity. The key features of the 'Closed-Loop Onboard Waste Recycling System' included features like drastically decreasing the quantity of garbage transported to landfills, saving precious landfill space and reducing pollutants connected with waste disposal. Thanks to closed-loop technology, emirates can recycle, reduce, and reuse special materials like plastic and aluminium, resulting in more sustainable resource utilisation.
The carbon footprint of an aircraft is directly affected by waste management practices. An Emirates aircraft decreases greenhouse gas emissions by recycling onboard garbage, creating a cleaner and more sustainable aviation business. Emirates' dedication to sustainability, as seen by programmes such as closed-loop waste recycling, improves its brand image, resulting in increased customer loyalty and happiness.
To know more: https://www.alcircle.com/news/emirates-introduces-closed-loop-onboard-waste-recycling-system-to-foster-sustainability-95218
SOLARCYCLE finalises green deal with Ørsted
Ørsted, a major sustainable energy firm, has formed a new cooperation with SOLARCYCLE, a technology-based solar recycling company, to recycle and process end-of-life solar modules from its projects around the United States. This recycling services agreement is in line with Ørsted's worldwide pledge, which takes effect immediately, to reuse or recycle 100% of solar panels that reach the end of their useful life. It is the industry's first of its sort.
In 2022, SOLARCYCLE opened a recycling plant in Odessa, Texas. This arrangement expanded Ørsted's current recycling contract for thin-film modules, signed in 2021 with First Solar. Even though Ørsted's solar projects in the United States are still in their early phases, Ørsted had already recycled 4,000 modules. The SOLARCYCLE agreement ensures that all of Ørsted's projects may be recycled by providing a portfolio-wide recycling solution for crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar modules. SOLARCYCLE reclaims 95% of the value of solar panels. They evaluate panels for reuse and recycle the remainder, extracting precious elements such as aluminium and silicon while separating plastic from solar modules.
The CEO and Co-Founder of SOLARCYCLE, Suvi Sharma, stated, "Ørsted's 100 per cent commitment to recycling their solar projects in the U.S. and globally is notable and the first-of-its-kind. Their leadership is walking the walk, and we are grateful to collaborate with their team to meet their circular economy goals. Today's announcement also demonstrates that the industry no longer sees recycling as an afterthought, but it is rapidly becoming the norm to plan for end-of-life practices years in advance."
To know more: https://www.alcircle.com/news/solarcycle-finalises-green-deal-with-orsted-to-recycle-its-end-of-life-solar-panels-95132
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