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Novelis, a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, announced the opening of the Ulsan Aluminum Recycling Center.

Novelis has invested $65 million in Ulsan Aluminum, a joint venture between Novelis and Kobe Steel to build the new recycling center with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons of low-carbon aluminum sheet ingot.

Novelis currently operates Asia’s largest aluminum beverage can recycling facility in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do. With the addition of the Ulsan center, the company now has a domestic recycling capacity of approximately 470,000 tons per year. Fully funded by Novelis, the new center is equipped to process a wide range of aluminum scrap – including those from cans, automotive, and industrial sources – enhancing Novelis’ overall recycling capabilities in the region.

Through this facility, Novelis expects to reduce carbon emissions by 420,000 tons annually. This reduction is equivalent to the annual CO₂ absorption of approximately 19 million trees, based on an average of 22 kilograms1 per tree. Recycling aluminum can save 95% of energy used and 95% of greenhouse gases emitted when producing aluminum from bauxite. In addition, aluminum is a fully circular material as it is infinitely recyclable without any loss in quality. 

“The Ulsan Aluminum Recycling Center is a strategic investment aimed at meeting growing customer demand for sustainable, low-carbon aluminum across beverage packaging, automotive, and specialty product sectors,” said Sachin Satpute, President, Novelis Asia. “We will continue to expand the use of recycled aluminum inputs to reduce our carbon footprint as well as those of our customers and our industry, accelerating the transition to a circular economy.”

Novelis is advancing “Novelis 3×30” vision, focusing on three global objectives to be achieved by 2030: 

1. According to the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a single mature tree can absorb and store more than 48 pounds (approximately 21.8 kilograms) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per year.

    Aluminium International Today featured an exclusive byline by Suzanne Lindsay-Walker, Vice President of Sustainability at Novelis, highlighting the company’s strategic investments in recycling and rolling capacity to drive a more sustainable future. 

    In her article, “Investing in a Sustainable Future: Novelis Increases Capacity and Looks to Maximize Recycled Content.” Suzanne outlines Novelis’ latest efforts to expand its recycling capabilities and increase the percentage of recycled content in its products, reinforcing the company’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. 

    With major projects in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, Novelis is strengthening its position as a leader in low-carbon aluminum solutions. The article highlights key advancements, including: 

    Read the full article in Aluminum International Today’s March/April issue. Aluminium International Today

    Suzanne Lindsay-Walker, Vice President of Sustainability at Novelis, recently joined The Green Room, a podcast by edie, to discuss the evolving role of sustainability in business strategy.  

    In the podcast, Suzanne discusses how the company is bringing Novelis 3×30—our company’s vision to advance aluminum as the material of choice with circular solutions—into action. She highlights the critical role of aluminum in a low-carbon future and how Novelis is making first-mover investments in new technologies to drive sustainability and business growth. 

    Listen to the full episode to hear Suzanne’s perspective on the future of sustainability, what motivates her work, and how Novelis is leading the way toward a low-carbon, circular economy for aluminum. 

    In edie’s Green Room with Novelis’s VP of sustainability, Suzanne Lindsay-Walker – YouTube 

    Hosted by edie editor Matt Mace, The Green Room features leading voices in corporate sustainability, uncovering key lessons, industry trends, and the personal motivations of sustainability leaders. 

    Written by:  Jamie Zinser, Vice President, Automotive, Novelis North America

    To meet growing demands for green mobility, three elite suppliers have come together to advance sustainable, high-performance solutions for the automobile industry’s electric vehicle (EV) sector.

    Novelis, Shape Corp., and Metalsa are now collaborating, testing, learning and advancing aluminum roll form-intensive EV battery tray concepts.   

    The partnership between Novelis, Shape Corp., and Metalsa aims to improve EV battery enclosures in design, quality, weight, and go-to-market speed. The collaboration combines expertise in advanced roll forming, next-generation alloy development, and precision assembly, providing Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) with specialized knowledge in these areas. 

    • Novelis is the global leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, specializing in the production of high-recycled flat-rolled aluminum products;   
    • Shape Corp. is a prominent manufacturer of advanced, lightweight metal components, primarily for automobiles;  
    • Metalsa is a global leader in product and process design, development and manufacturing of structural components for the Automotive and Commercial Vehicles mobility industries.   

    The partnership will utilize Novelis’ high-recycled content alloys to reduce weight and increase product strength, contributing to a more sustainable final product. Novelis recently announced its 3×30 goals with commitments to decarbonize operations, increase recycled content in all products, and invest in a circular economy.  

    With the leadership of Shape Corp. and Metalsa, EV battery enclosure technology will now utilize multi-cellular structures to optimize energy absorption, incorporate flexible part design to enable tooling reuse over multiple platforms, apply precision assembly methods to ensure quality and minimize variances, and employ new bending strategies to enhance part formability and structural integrity.  

     Through Shape Corp.’s best-in-class material utilization and closed-section profiles, the codeveloped EV battery enclosure can realize lower mass and increase structural efficiency.  

    Metalsa’s rigorous testing processes, including front- and side-impact resistance, leak detection, and structural integrity assessments, guarantee the enclosures will meet stringent safety and performance standards.  

    With an eye on the future, adaptability and diversification, together, Novelis, Shape Corp. and Metalsa have a proven track record of rapidly advancing prototype technologies, which will shorten product realization cycles and promote faster in-market timing.  

    Read more from our partners at Shape Corp.

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    Aluminum recycling is more than a sustainable practice—it’s a powerful driver of economic growth, supply chain resiliency, and environmental stewardship. In his latest thought leadership piece, Chris Cerone, Novelis’ Vice President of Public Affairs & Communications, explores the significant impact of aluminum recycling on job creation, economic activity, and sustainability. 

    Discover how Novelis is harnessing the power of aluminum recycling, from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to boosting the circular economy.  

    Novelis is proud to partner with Mercedes Benz Stadium in the “Recycle for Good” program. This initiative turns recycled aluminum cans into funds to build Habitat for Humanity homes for families in need. Recently, Keisha, a mother of three from southwest Atlanta, moved into her dream home thanks to this unique partnership. Since the program’s inception, five homes have been built in Atlanta. Learn more about this heartwarming story and how you can contribute here: Atlanta woman’s dream home became a reality one can at a time (fox5atlanta.com) 

    Novelis is investing approximately $90 million to double the recycling capacity for used beverage cans (UBCs) at its Latchford plant in the UK. This expansion will increase the facility’s recycling capacity for UBC by 85 kilotonnes per year, a growth of over 100%.

    This investment underscores our strong commitment to sustainability as we continue to drive the transformation of the aluminium industry towards full circularity and lead the market with innovative, high-recycled and low-carbon aluminium solutions.

    Emilio Braghi, Executive Vice President Novelis and President Novelis Europe

    The expansion involves constructing a new dross house, three new bag houses, and installing advanced shredding, sorting, de-coating, and melting technologies. These upgrades will boost the plant’s recycling volume and efficiency, resulting in an annual CO2e reduction of more than 350,000 tonnes for Novelis Europe.

    The project is expected to begin commissioning in December 2026. Once operational, the facility will be able to recycle 100% of UBCs to be collected under the future UK deposit return scheme. This will create a local, fully circular system that will avoid the need to export scrap exports from the UK.

    Novelis is proud to be part of the European Aluminium Packaging Group’s efforts, along with three other European can sheet manufacturers, to work on developing a new market standard with the ultimate goal of having an aluminum beverage can made from up to 100% recycled content.

    Four flat-rolled aluminium manufacturers and members of the European Aluminium Packaging Group, Constellium, Elval, Novelis and Speira, have signed an agreement that can help accelerate the way to a new market standard: a standardized can end alloy with high recycled content and substantially lower carbon emissions. Novelis is very happy to be part of an initiative to jointly drive the further decarbonization of the aluminium beverage can.

    Visit the EAA site to learn more! 

    Captured (left to right):
    Babis Chaikos, Commercial Senior Director Elval, aluminium rolling division of ElvalHalcor SA
    Arnaud Riess, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Global Packaging, Constellium
    Alexander Kuzan, VP & GM Beverage & Food Packaging Novelis Europe and Head Global Beverage Packaging Strategy & Marketing
    Boris Kurth, Head of Can Business, Speira

    In a significant move towards bolstering recycling infrastructure and sustainability, Novelis extends its support for the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act recently introduced by U.S. House Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Mikie Sherrill on November 1, 2023. This legislation, designed to enhance recycling accessibility, particularly in underserved communities, is garnering bipartisan support and widespread acclaim from key stakeholders.  The House bill mirrors a Senate bill introduced earlier this year by Senators Tom Carper, Shelley Moore Capito and John Boozman. 

    Chris Cerone, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Novelis, expressed enthusiasm for the proactive, market-oriented approach of the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act.  Cerone emphasized the positive impact the legislation could have on the economy and the environment, especially for critical materials like aluminum. 

    “As the world’s largest recycler of aluminum, Novelis applauds Congresswoman Miller-Meeks’ introduction of the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act. Expanding recycling access through the creation of public-private partnerships in underserved recycling communities, especially for critical materials like aluminum, is good for the economy and environment,” stated Cerone. 

    The Act aims to address the challenges of America’s fragmented recycling system by establishing a pilot program to improve recycling accessibility in communities lacking sufficient infrastructure. Novelis, recognizing the importance of sustainable practices, sees this legislation as a crucial step towards achieving a more circular economy and reducing the environmental impact of recyclable materials. 

    Novelis encourages the development of public-private partnerships and welcomes the proposed legislation as a means to further enhance recycling efforts across the nation. The company remains committed to supporting initiatives that contribute to a more sustainable future and will continue to help build support for the Senate and House bills. 

    EPW Committee Advances Bipartisan Recycling Legislation – Majority News – U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works