Novelis claims aluminium recycling first

Novelis has announced the production of the first aluminium coil made entirely from 100% recycled automotive scrap.

The innovative pilot material is said to be suitable for car body outer skin applications, meeting the highest requirements for surface quality and formability.

The scrap for the recycled coil was sourced through the Automotive Circularity Platform (ACP), which was initiated together with thyssenkrupp Materials Services. As an open platform, ACP aims to streamline access to high-quality, end-of-life, material for recycling by digitalising the market for secondary materials, enhancing supply chain efficiency, and maximising material recovery from end-of-life vehicles.

Ground-breaking

‘Automotive customers are constantly looking for ways to decarbonise their products while keeping them light, safe and affordable, and that’s why they turn to us,’ says Michael Hahne, vp and general manager, Automotive, Novelis Europe.

‘It also is a ground-breaking achievement showcasing the potential for significant environmental benefits and the ability to meet the high-performance demands of modern automotive production.’

Novelis is now working to expand the adoption of this technology, enabling automakers to incorporate higher recycled content into future vehicle designs. It already supplies carmakers with products made of up to 85% recycled content, made possible through collaboration with customers, closed loop recycling systems for post-production scrap, and the growing collaboration with major suppliers of recyclable materials.

Potential

‘We believe expanding the use of end-of-life scrap in aluminium production will further enable the automotive sector to reduce its reliance on virgin materials,’ says a news release. ‘The introduction of 100% end-of-life recycled aluminium into automotive production has the potential to dramatically lower the industry’s environmental footprint while advancing a more circular economy.’