【SMM Aluminum Flash News】UK Faces Challenge in Retaining Value from Recycled Aluminium Amid Global Supply Risks

Published: Jul 28, 2026 17:43

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Aluminium is often described as one of the most recyclable industrial materials, and the UK already has much of the infrastructure needed to support a circular aluminium economy. Collection systems are well established, recycling rates are strong, and remelting capacity exists across the supply chain. According to Nadine Bloxsome, CEO of the Aluminium Federation (ALFED), the challenge is no longer whether aluminium can be recycled, but whether the UK is keeping enough of the value created from that recycled material. ALFED estimates that recycling aluminium requires up to 95 per cent less energy than producing primary metal, making it an important contributor to industrial competitiveness as well as the country's net-zero ambitions. Despite this, the UK continues to rely heavily on imported primary aluminium. Around 68,000 tonnes were imported from the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia during 2025. Recent geopolitical tensions and disruptions affecting energy-intensive smelting operations in the region have highlighted the risks that come with depending on overseas supply. The UK generates large volumes of aluminium scrap every year, yet much of the material leaves the country instead of being processed locally. Aluminium scrap exports to the United States increased from around 2,000 tonnes in 2024 to more than 23,000 tonnes in 2025, while total exports under HS Code 7602 rose from about 612,000 tonnes to more than 623,000 tonnes. During the same year, the UK also imported around 90,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap, showing that the issue is not a shortage of material but where that material is processed and where its value is ultimately created.

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