Used beverage cans: the fastest loop in metal recycling
A used aluminium can is back on the shelf as a new can in about 60 days, using roughly 5% of the energy of primary smelting.
Aluminium used beverage cans (UBC) are the shortest and most efficient closed loop in the metals industry. Because the alloy families used for can body and can end are compatible, baled UBC can be re-melted directly into new can sheet without downgrading the material.
Producing one tonne of primary aluminium from bauxite typically requires 14,000–16,000 kWh of electricity. Re-melting the same tonne from clean UBC scrap consumes roughly 500–700 kWh — a saving of about 95%, with a comparable reduction in CO₂ emissions.
What determines the price you are paid
Moisture, coatings, and foreign attachments are the three deductions that matter most. Cans that are wet or contaminated with liquid residue lose weight yield in the furnace and attract higher melt-loss deductions.
Density matters too. Properly baled UBC in the 400–500 kg/m³ range ships far more economically than loose or lightly compacted material, and lower freight cost per tonne is money that stays with the seller.
How we handle it
Eurogulf inspects, weighs and grades UBC on arrival, with radiation screening and moisture checks before shipment. Material is consolidated into container loads and moved to re-melters under contracts that fix quality tolerances up front, so there are no surprise claims after discharge.