Sims is part of Australian recycling loop

Australia-based Sims Ltd. is one of three companies operating in Australia banding together to collect and prepare aluminum scrap for eventual consumption in a smelter in that nation.

Aluminum extrusions and products maker Capral Ltd. is working with the Sims Metal business unit of Sims Ltd. and mining and metals production firm Rio Tinto, London, to undertake what Capral calls a new closed-loop recycling initiative.

“This project represents a practical step forward for Capral in reducing our carbon emissions and increasing the recycled content of the aluminum we use," Capral Managing Director and CEO Tony Dragicevich says.

Capral says the collaborative process involves its factory-generated aluminum scrap being collected, sorted and processed by Sims Metal so it can be melted at Rio Tinto’s Boyne Smelter in Australia.

The process thus far has resulted in the production of 1,000 metric tons of aluminum in the Boyne primary smelter with a minimum of 20 percent recycled content, according to Capral.

In turn, the manufacturer uses that aluminum in its extrusion operations, calling the loop a “great step forward in building a greener, more resilient onshore manufacturing industry.”

“This latest development builds upon a successful trial conducted in 2024, marking growing momentum toward more circular and lower-carbon aluminum production in Australia,” Capral says.

In that trial, Capral partnered with Rio Tinto to trial recycled-content aluminum billet produced from 100 metric tons of postproduction scrap sourced from Capral’s Bremer Park extrusion plant in the Australian state of Queensland.

That scrap was remelted and cast into billet with a minimum of 20 percent recycled content, “demonstrating that high-quality, recycled-content billet can be made reliably onshore, paving the way for broader adoption,” according to Capral.

“Sims Metal is excited to collaborate with Rio Tinto and Capral to provide more recycled metal content into domestic aluminum manufacturing,” says David Burrows, chief commercial officer of Sims Metal, which has a global presence that includes numerous facilities in the United States.

“Using more recycled aluminum in the manufacturing process is an immediate way the industry can continue to decarbonize and at the same time strengthen local aluminum supply chains," he adds. 

Capral says Sims plays a critical role in the process, ensuring the aluminum scrap is properly processed and sorted for remelting.

“Their involvement helps guarantee the consistency and quality required for closed-loop recycling at scale,” Capral says.

The companies involved say melting aluminum scrap requires just about 5 percent of the energy used in primary production, making recycling aluminum through remelting "one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of aluminum products without sacrificing performance or quality,” according to Capral.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Sims Metal and Capral to pioneer and scale an onshore closed-loop aluminum recycling solution that is driven by the needs of the market and our customer, Capral," says Armando Torres, a Rio Tinto managing director based in Australia. "The advancements achieved through successful trials are testament to the partnering technical teams’ innovation and demonstrate the feasibility of locally sourced and recycled aluminum supply chains in Australia.”