FACE answers to JRC questions on aluminium scrap
Update to FACE’s June 2025 position paper on aluminium scrap
FACE provided answers to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre’s (JRC) questions, which serve as an update to our June position paper on aluminium scrap. This technical input will be taken as part of the preparatory work for the upcoming Circular Economy Act, with a focus on aluminium in the construction sector.
The document offers detailed responses to questions regarding the availability, quality and circulation of aluminium scrap within the European Union. It is based on a survey conducted among companies operating along the value chain and enriched by FACE’s technical expertise. The analysis confirms a growing shortage of scrap on the European market, against a backdrop of exports that now exceed one million tonnes per year and increasingly include high-quality materials, including pre-consumer scrap.
FACE highlights that the current European regulatory framework, while ensuring high environmental and safety standards, entails significantly higher costs and administrative burdens compared to those faced by non-EU competitors, making exports more attractive for operators and traders. In light of these market distortions, the Association stresses the need for more effective safeguard measures to retain scrap within the Union, alongside structural interventions to strengthen sorting, traceability and recycling capacity.
The document also reiterates several key proposals previously put forward by FACE, including the harmonisation of scrap classifications at European level, the introduction of common quality and traceability standards, and the development of a certification system for so-called “Green Scrap”. According to FACE, only an integrated approach — combining targeted trade measures with long-term industrial policies — can ensure supply security, support investment in recycling and strengthen the competitiveness of the European aluminium value chain in line with the EU’s climate and circular economy objectives.
The full document is available here.
