MPs back aluminium as a role model for the circular economy

Last week (1 September), MPs backed the strategic value of aluminium as a critical permanent material, a major contributor to the UK economy and an enabler of the circular economy. MPs urged the government to maximise recycling rates and ensure recycling policy and industrial strategy are coordinated to support British and regional supply chains.

Introducing the Westminster Hall Debate on local authorities and recycling, Liberal Democrat MP for Wells and the Mendip Hills Tessa Munt dubbed aluminium ‘the most valuable material in every household recycling bin’ and championed the view that the material should be considered a nationally strategic resource. 

The event set out to examine the strategic value of aluminium, which underpins critical industries including defence, packaging and construction and contributes £9.4 billion to the UK economy. Demand is expected to quadruple by 2035. While its endless recyclability and widespread application were celebrated, MPs were also keen to discuss the vulnerability of increasing scrap exports and highlight the importance of fine tuning packaging reforms to ensure future policy supports UK value chains.

Commenting on the debate, Tom Giddings, executive director of Alupro, said: ‘The session demonstrated how highly aluminium is regarded as a strategic national resource, as well as the pivotal role of recycling in enabling the circular economy, decarbonising the supply chain and maximising economic value. Extensive work has been undertaken by us, and our members, to understand the approaches needed to unlock the full potential of aluminium recycling.’

Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, added: ‘Aluminium is one of the success stories of the circular economy and has an important role to play in this cycle. Cans can be recycled and back on supermarket shelves within 60 days. Some 75% of all the aluminium ever produced is still in use today. Reprocessing aluminium uses 95% less energy and 90% less carbon than primary manufacturing.’

Challenges around resource retention and export were also a key topic of conversation during the debate. After all, with domestic reprocessing figures having fallen from 83% in 2021 to 68% in 2024 despite growing reprocessing capacity, proactive change is needed to avoid further impacts and maximise UK competitiveness.

By ensuring that packaging reforms are fine tuned to support these challenges, it would be possible to not only increase the volume of high quality aluminium collected for recycling, but also ensure that a greater percentage is retained domestically to support UK and regional value chains.

Defra Minister Emma Hardy MP concluded, ‘Aluminium demonstrates exactly why the transition to a circular economy is not some academic theory, but something that matters to us all. Capturing that valuable resource gives us the opportunity to reduce waste, lower emissions and strengthen industrial supply chains.’