INDUSTRY FOCUS Metal Products
Aluminium recycling could be key to Brexit
supply issues N
n the UK we do not have vast resources or unlimited raw materials to sustain our construction and associated
manufacturing industries, therefore we import most of our metals, including aluminium. The cost of importing products and materials was already high but this has now increased with further obstacles and challenges that come from the UK’s exit from the EU.
The UK is not self-suffi cient in the aluminium mining market due to lack of bauxite assets, making us particularly dependant on imports from the EU and the Far East. With post-Brexit trade still being ironed out, delays will be inevitable, making our access to primary aluminium ingot uncertain and inconsistent, putting the UK at a real disadvantage in the metals market. Increasing investments into recycling would be a viable way of ensuring the country isn’t as reliant on imports of metals, but rather being proactive and utilising our existing metal stock assets should be the way forward.
Recycling Recycling aluminium saves around six
tonnes of bauxite and nine tonnes of CO2 emissions. For example, making a drinks can from recycled material saves more than 90% of the energy consumption and greenhouse emissions than producing one from raw materials. Metals do not lose or alter their initial properties through repeated cycles of reuse and reconfi guration. The process employed in secondary aluminium manufacturing ensures that the chemical and physical properties are tightly adhered to in order to fully meet the requirements of industry standards. Some 75% of all aluminium
34 March 2021 | Automation By Paul McFadyen, Managing Director of metals4U
ever produced is still in use, even after numerous recycle processes, with around 24 million tonnes estimated to be manufactured per annum in the UK. This being said, around 80 million aluminium and steel drinks cans are sent to landfi ll every day in the UK alone, whilst just 75% of total aluminium is recycled here according to 2019 fi gures, so, as a nation, we are clearly overlooking a great opportunity to protect our existing supplies. The UK however had a target to push this fi gure up to 85% by the end of 2020, and although fi nal statistics are due to be released imminently, current fi gures indicate that aluminium packaging recycling peaked last year, suggesting that we are at least starting to head in the right direction.
Aluminium is the most valuable packaging asset in the waste stream, it is easy to recycle with a 60-day turnaround, from recycling bin to the shelf. However, to eff ectively utilise secondary aluminium in this way, facilities will need to improve, such as encouraging consumer-friendly collection services and strategies like deposit return schemes, which are becoming popular across Europe to stop volumes of metal ending up in landfi ll. The construction industry also needs to work out how to increase the quantity of recycled materials it uses, and make sure surplus or waste materials is used in a useful and alternative way rather than ending up in landfi ll. Construction projects, however, are run on tight fi nancial restrictions and even tighter time frames, so fi nding the time and workforce to dedicate to the separation of materials for recycling immediately fl ags up as a major problem. Recycling does save on disposal and landfi ll fees; however, more incentives should be off ered to appeal
to businesses to make it worthwhile for them to put eff orts into recycling as much as possible.
Good for the environment Initial costs for choosing a more environmentally-friendly route may be off -putting, as procedures, including training and signage, will have to be set up. However, the long-term fi nancial benefi ts are signifi cant, as over 30% of the materials purchased for a project can end up going to waste. Purchasing recycled materials or ones that contain recycled content should also be considered, although these may take more time to source.
The UK also has a thriving scrap metal industry, with the Scrap Metal Dealers Act of 2013 allowing the sale of scrap through a system of licenced dealers with clear and concise protocols in place, with high method standards. This piece of legislation has been pivotal in building consumer confi dence in the used-metal trade to hopefully increase the useful lifespan of already-produced aluminium. Current prices for secondary aluminium
are around £600 a tonne, with primary aluminium ingots at £1,252 per tonne. Therefore, using secondary aluminium at half the price will not only solve supply chain issues but a huge amount of money. Amending the UK’s recycling infrastructure will enable us to use existing stocks and, in turn, keep profi ts and employment opportunities within the country to thrive now we have exited the European Union.
CONTACT:
metals4U
www.metals4u.co.uk
automationmagazine.co.uk
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