Anhui Biopin IOT Group

The Aluminium Federation (ALFED) has confirmed that aluminium will be classified under both the critical and growth categories in the UK government’s upcoming Critical Minerals Strategy, which is scheduled for release in October.   This recognition positions aluminium as a core element of the UK’s industrial and economic future, affirming its dual role: an essential material for enhancing national resilience and a key driver of sustainable growth.   This milestone is not accidental. In recent years, ALFED has consistently advocated for aluminium’s strategic importance to the UK government, framing it as a material central to the country’s resilience and industrial expansion. To strengthen this effort, ALFED, in collaboration with Dr Mark Jones from CONETZ (Connecting for Net Zero), developed the UK Aluminium Alliance (UKAA). This alliance has built a robust industry platform that engages policymakers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and supply chain partners, ensuring the UK speaks with a unified voice on aluminium’s significance.   Aluminium’s inclusion in the UK strategy also aligns with its international standing. Earlier this year, aluminium was added to NATO’s Critical Materials List—another validation of its global strategic value. Together, these designations solidify aluminium’s status as a material critical not only to the UK economy but also to global resilience and security. Nadine Bloxsome, Chief Executive of ALFED, commented: “For far too long, aluminium has been overlooked in UK policy, even though it is vital to everything from national defence to the energy transition. The government’s recognition of aluminium as both a critical and growth mineral confirms what we have been emphasizing all along: the UK cannot afford to ignore aluminium. ALFED and the UK Aluminium Alliance will continue to advocate for the sector and work with the government to turn this recognition into tangible actions, investments, and policy changes.”   Rachel Wiffen, Industry & Skills Development Manager at ALFED, added: “Being included in the Critical Minerals Strategy sends a clear signal about the industry’s importance and aluminium’s contribution to the UK economy. It also reflects the industry’s perspective on the upcoming opportunities in skills development, innovation, and investment. This gives us a strong foundation to address current challenges, engage the next generation of talent, and ensure aluminium remains at the forefront of sustainable industrial growth.”   Notably, this recognition comes ahead of the UK Metals Expo 2025 (taking place on 10–11 September at the NEC Birmingham), where ALFED will play a leading role in panel discussions and related initiatives. The federation plans to highlight how the new critical minerals designation strengthens the case for investing in the UK’s aluminium sector, while also showcasing collaboration opportunities across areas like recycling, circular economy practices, downstream innovation, and industrial decarbonization.   Bloxsome added: “The UK Metals Expo is the ideal platform to build momentum. This announcement demonstrates what can be achieved when the industry unites with a single voice. ALFED looks forward to working with stakeholders from both the government and industry to ensure the UK fully capitalizes on aluminium’s recognition as a critical and growth mineral.”

Speira has poured €40 million into expanding can recycling capacity at its Rheinwerk site, with the goal of achieving annual CO₂ savings of up to 1.5 million metric tons (mt).​   As part of this #investment, a new melting furnace—specifically designed for processing scrap—has been installed at the German site, and production with this furnace is set to start in early 2026. In addition to the furnace, the Rheinwerk site has also finished building a new scrap storage facility, which takes up one-third of the entire site’s area.​   Volker Backs, Speira’s Managing Director, noted that the company has shifted away from energy-intensive primary aluminium production. “This decision was a must, considering Germany's #energy policy outlook and our responsibility to ensure the long-term viability of our entire company,” he said. He also added that Speira’s transformation into a pure recycling group—a journey that began over 20 years ago—has been accelerated once more with this investment.​   The new furnace will melt aluminium #scrap, which will then undergo rolling and be processed into beverage cans. Notably, beverage cans have a short life cycle: roughly 60 days from #production to disposal. This means the same can can go through the Rheinwerk facility’s recycling process multiple times each year.​   Boris Kurth, Head of the Rheinwerk site, commented on the new scrap storage facility: “The large halls gave us the space to think and plan on a grand scale. This massive new scrap storage area provides more input for all our #recycling furnaces—not just the newly installed one.”​  

Sun Chemical and X-Rite Incorporated have unveiled new metal packaging color libraries as part of the PantoneLIVE digital color ecosystem. These libraries are specifically designed for the drinks industry, with a focus on enabling precise visualization and communication of both Pantone colors and brand-specific colors. They are tailored for two-piece aluminium cans decorated with metal deco inks and finished in a matte texture.   A key goal of these libraries is to enhance color predictability and consistency. This helps brands and their packaging suppliers maintain uniform colors across different substrates and surface finishes, solving a common challenge in metal packaging production.   The new color libraries are accessible via a subscription to PantoneLIVE Production – Print and Packaging. They support the manufacturing of aluminium beverage cans, compatible with both opaque and transparent inks to achieve the desired matte effect. With more than 4,000 color options, the expanded libraries also extend PantoneLIVE’s support for metal packaging and metal decoration to a broader range of applications beyond beverage cans, including mono-bloc aerosols, aluminium collapsible tubes, cartridges, and felt pen cases.   Eduardo Alegria, Sun Chemical’s Global Champion for Metal Deco Inks, commented on the value of the initiative: “By leveraging PantoneLIVE’s extensive library of validated Pantone colors—developed specifically for metal deco inks—brands and their aluminium packaging suppliers can skip the time-consuming and expensive process of creating custom colors. This reduces delays, the need for reworks, and trials for ink application during the production of new designs, ultimately leading to a more consistent, efficient, and sustainable packaging workflow.”