Recycled Aluminium

Overview

Aluminium is one of the few materials that can be recycled virtually infinitely without degrading significantly in performance. With fairly low melting temperatures (about 660°C), so it is easily reformed into a sheet, billet or cast, making it highly suitable for closed loop recycling systems (The Aluminium Association, 2021).

Aluminium is a useful, versatile, corrosion resistant and highly versatile material, when these properties are combined with its recyclability. It makes aluminium a key material in both architectural and industrial design (AZO materials, 2025).

Aluminium is produced in a series of grades, each tailored for specific properties. These different grades are produced by adding elements such as magnesium, silicone, zinc and copper. These materials can influence properties like formability, strength and corrosion resistance. When it comes to recycling the aluminium it is important to measure and control impurities which can significantly affect material performance (Lametals, 2023).

Case Study 1 — D. Novelis - 100% Recycled Aluminium Sheet Systems

(The World’s Largest Recycler of Aluminium, 2025)

D.Novelis mission is to provide our customers with the best value for procured goods and services while creating a sustainable competitive advantage in our global business (Novelis Inc, 2025).

The company reprocesses both consumer scrap (used beverage cans or old car panels) and industrial scrap (manufacturing offcuts) without any noticeable loss in quality.

Companies like Novelis are the backbone of modern circular design, making it possible for designers and manufacturers to use recycled aluminium at scale.

As designers, we must specify a minimum percentage of recycled material when working with companies like Novelis. While aluminium can theoretically be recycled indefinitely, it rarely reaches 100% recycled content due to the need for precise alloy control, impurity management and make the process reliable at scale.

Novelis works at a large scale, meaning recycled aluminium is most feasible for products produced in high volumes.

Smaller Scale Systems

Recent research has developed a low cost, small scale aluminium recycling system which is clean, safe, sustainable and easy to use by communities or small enterprises. By using a small induction furnace powered by solar panels, it allows innovation in undeveloped communities.

(Zhang et al., 2025)

References

The Aluminum Association (2021) Infinitely Recyclable, www.aluminum.org. Available at:https://www.aluminum.org/Recycling.

A Comprehensive Guide to Common Aluminum Grades: Properties and Applications (2023) www.lametals.co.uk. Available at:https://www.lametals.co.uk/blog/aluminium-grades-guide/.

AZO materials (2005) Aluminium - Specifications, Properties, Classifications and Classes, azom.com. Available at:https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=2863.

The World’s Largest Recycler of Aluminum (2025) Novelis. Available at:https://novelis.com/sustainability/recycling/.

Novelis Inc (2025) Novelis Inc. Mission, Vision & Values, Comparably. Available at:https://www.comparably.com/companies/novelis-inc/mission (Accessed: 16 December 2025).

Sustainability (2025) Novelis. Available at:https://novelis.com/sustainability/.

Zhang, M. et al. (2025) ‘Low cost small scale recycling aluminium cans for energy conservation and environmental sustainability’, Environmental Technology, pp. 1–8.Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2025.2509994.