How to Maximize the Value of Your Aluminium Scrap

Aluminium can be recycled. However, how you handle the scrap matters. Recyclers evaluate quality, composition, and contamination rates. Then they come up with a price.

Maybe you produce aluminium from offcuts of production or demolition waste. Or perhaps you collect used aluminium parts. In that case, enhancing your internal handling operation will enhance what you get for recycling aluminium.

Here are some best practices:

Isolate Aluminium During the Process

Mixed waste reduces resale value. Your aluminium might be mixed with other things like:

Steel
Plastics
Debris in general

If that is the case, further processing will be required during the recycling of aluminium. The result of that cost is lower scrap prices.

Instead, you should:

Install numbered bins at the generation point.
Train employees to segregate aluminium instantly.
Avoid using temporary mixed storage areas.

On-site separation helps in reducing downstream sorting costs. This enhances your bargaining power with your recycling partner.

Avoid Contamination

Contamination affects scrap pricing. This is caused by:

Oils
Paints
Adhesives
Sealants
Attached non-metal components

These contaminants lower the quality.

You can do this to maintain a scrap of higher grade:

Eliminate fittings, rubber, plastic, and steel where feasible.
Drain all fluid from components.
Separate painted and unpainted materials.
Avoid exposure to excessive dirt or moisture.

A recycler might reject heavily contaminated scrap. But clean material fetches a high price. This is because it needs less processing before remelting.

Sort by Alloy

Not all aluminium is the same. Various industries employ different series of alloys, e.g.,

1000
3000
5000
6000
7000

When combined, they lower traceability. They restrict reuse in closed-loop systems.

Suppose your operation yields consistent scraps, then do this:

Determine the grade of alloy you produce.
Keep each stream of alloys apart.
Label bins with alloy specifications.

Sorted alloys are more beneficial. The recyclers can resell them directly into manufacturing supply chains. This is of particular significance to industries like:

Automotive
Aerospace
Extrusion manufacturers

Store Scrap Properly

Inefficient storage results in:

Oxidation
Contamination
Handling inefficiencies

Aluminium is not a rusting material compared to steel. However, poor conditions lower the quality perception.

Best practices include:

Keep in the shade. This will reduce exposure to rain and debris.
Use containers that prevent cross-contamination.
Do not put high-value grades with mixed scrap.
Keep storage space tidy and accessible.

Clean and organized storage enhances safety. It will also expedite collection logistics.

Track Volumes and Monitor Weights

Statistics enhance profitability. You should track:

Departmental scrap generation.
Monthly volume trends.
Revenue recovered per ton.

This will enable you to spot inefficiencies. You also get to negotiate for much better rates, depending on a steady supply. Dependable volume forecasting also enhances relations with professional aluminium recycling partners.