Recycling Today AUG 2024 / by Brian Taylor / Read original article
For several decades, the U.S. has generated considerably more recyclable post-consumer material than it can consume across several sectors, including aluminum, copper, steel, plastic and paper.
The U.S.’ scrap surplus has not been entirely bad for processors and traders, allowing them to compete in a global market with many bidders for these materials, including aluminum.
Many of those same processors and traders, however, would welcome a more robust domestic aluminum scrap melt shop landscape, whether to offer new potentially low-cost freight options or because they are rooting for a North American manufacturing sector that will generate and consume larger volumes of secondary materials.
Throughout this decade, several U.S. aluminum investment announcements could point to a near-to-medium-term future in which a higher percentage of this aluminum stays onshore.
A list worth compiling
U.S. capital markets have long been more enthusiastic about investing in companies and activities deemed to be high-tech, often leaving even well-run metals producers feeling as though they were struggling to live off the leftovers.
The tech sector continues to attract more investment dollars, but several investment trends have created an opening for recycled-content metals producers, namely sustainability and reduced emissions (including the potential growth of electric vehicle sales), newfound support for infrastructure spending and supply chain-related support for reshoring or reinvesting in the U.S. manufacturing sector.
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