Aluminum recycling: a key investment for sustainable development driven by CBA at Metalex

CBA announced that it will allocate 115 million reais to carry out aluminum recycling projects at its Metalex plant, opening up new opportunities for a more environmentally friendly future. This investment includes the implementation of a scrap treatment line at Metalex and the completion of the recycling center, with the aim of increasing aluminum production with less environmental impact.

 is expanding its reach in the recycling market by inaugurating a new scrap processing line at its Metalex facility, located in Araçariguama (SP). It is also in the final stages of building its first recycling center.

CBA is a company that belongs to the Votorantim Group and has been in the market for 68 years. It is well known for its excellence in the production of primary and secondary aluminum, in addition to being a leader in the recycling of this fundamental material.

According to Alexandre Vianna, CBA’s Primary Business Director, and Leandro Faria, CBA’s General Manager of Sustainability, it is known that aluminum is a metal that requires a large amount of electricity for its production, which makes it an electro-intensive metal. This generates an average emission of 12.6 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere for every ton of primary aluminum produced worldwide.

“Given that CBA is totally self-sufficient in terms of energy and uses 100% renewable sources, coming from 23 hydroelectric power plants and 2 wind farms, the carbon footprint of our aluminum is extremely low, reaching only 3 tons. In other words, this mark places our aluminum in the ‘green’ category, since, worldwide, any value below 4 t of carbon footprint is considered as such. Therefore, our aluminum is a more environmentally friendly option,” added Vianna.

CBA continues to work toward its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1.4 tons of CO2 for every ton of aluminum produced at its Metalex unit by 2030. This goal is aligned with the company’s strategy to decarbonize its processes.

Since 2010, CBA has been actively involved in the recycling process by acquiring Metalex, a company engaged in the production of aluminum billets using 60% scrap and 40% primary aluminum. In addition, in 2022, CBA expanded its presence in the recycling market with the acquisition of Alux do Brasil, a company specialized in processing secondary aluminum and opening up new business opportunities.