Constellium N.V. has installed a new recycling furnace at its Muscle Shoals, Alabama facility in an effort to expand recycling capabilities in North America.
The now fully operational furnace is expected to increase the total recycling output by 170 million pounds. The Muscle Shoals facility will then be expected to recycle the equivalent of nearly 20 billion cans per year – almost one-fifth of the cans sold in the U.S.
“This new furnace is a major step for our Muscle Shoals facility, great news for our customers and an exciting step forward in our commitment to promote recycling and sustainability, said Mike Tanchuk, president and chief executive officer of the plant. “This increased recycling capacity will enable us to better leverage aluminum’s infinite recyclable properties.”
Using advanced technologies, the new furnace, which meets the Best Available Control Technology (BACT) environmental requirements, is expected to improve the safety, energy efficiency and environmental footprint of the plant.
Known as Element 13, the recycling facility at the Muscle Shoals plant is one of the largest recyclers of used beverage containers in the world. This capacity, which enables the plant to recycle products at their end-of-life (EOL) as well as scrap from customers, contributes to Constellium’s overall engagement to ‘close the loop’ in beverage can recycling.
Constellium is part of the Sustainable Committee of the American Aluminum Association and works closely with the Can Manufacturers Institute to raise environmental awareness and promote recycling within communities.
Published in the May 2017 Edition of American Recycler News