Technology is reshaping Europe's aluminum recycling value chain

An old car engine, a stack of used beverage cans, a demolished window frame and even a retired solar panel may look like waste, but across Europe they are increasingly being treated as valuable raw materials. What determines whether they end up in landfill or become high-grade recycled aluminum is one thing: technology.

With the help of advanced technologies, recycling rates in Europe already exceed 90 per cent in sectors such as automotive and construction, while aluminum beverage cans are recycled at rates of around 75 per cent. Behind these numbers is a network of sorting specialists, furnace makers, recyclers and collection