Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) plans to acquire an 80% stake in Italian aluminum recycling company Eco Green. The acquisition marks the latest milestone in the company’s global expansion and accelerates the company’s growth in aluminum recycling across Europe.
“At EGA, we are making rapid progress in building a global aluminum recycling business alongside expanding our primary aluminum production,” said Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, chief executive officer of EGA. “Post closing, Eco Green will bring EGA reach and expertise in the European aluminum scrap market, making this a significant step forward in supplying the recycling operations we are building across the continent to contribute to Europe’s green future. Eco Green will also add recycled aluminum production in northeast Italy, which we can further develop as part of EGA.”
Italian Recycling Capacity
Founded by the Scappini family in 1993, Eco Green is a family-led recycling operation specializing in aluminum scrap collection, sorting, and casting, and dross processing, distributing a total of more than 70,000 tonnes per year. The company’s plant in Villafranca di Verona in northeast Italy collects, sorts and distributes approximately 23,000 tonnes of aluminum scrap annually. A portion of the sorted scrap feeds Eco Green’s nearby facility in Nogara di Verona, which casts more than 20,000 tonnes of secondary sows per year and also processes dross.
Eco Green serves more than 60 customers across Europe, primarily in the aluminum processing and semi-fabrication industries, with end-users in automotive, construction, and other industrial sectors. The company has also established a strong scrap sourcing network, of more than 350 suppliers, ensuring consistent access to high-quality scrap. The company employs 70 people, and its current management team is expected to continue following completion of the transaction.
The Italian recycling firm is currently advancing an expansion plan in its Nogara di Verona facility that will add 15,000 tonnes per year of recycled aluminum capacity. The project is expected to be completed early in the second half of 2026.
“Becoming part of the world’s largest producer of ‘premium aluminium’ will unlock Eco Green’s growth potential, enabling us to further enhance our plants and expand our scrap supply and customer networks across Europe,” said Luca Scappini, chief executive officer of Eco Green. “EGA is already a major primary aluminium supplier to Europe, and we look forward to contributing to a significant and fast-growing EGA recycling business across the continent.”
Following completion of the acquisition, which remains subject to regulatory approvals, Eco Green will bring EGA’s recycling capacity to more than 400,000 tonnes per year across the UAE, Europe, and the U.S.
Growing Recycling Demand
Analysts expect global demand for recycled aluminum to double by 2040, accounting for around 60% of growth in global aluminum supply between now and 2030, and around 70% between 2030 and 2040. Europe, excluding Russia, is the world’s third-largest recycled aluminum market after the U.S. and China. Recycled aluminum currently meets around 40% of Europe’s total aluminum demand, with industries consuming approximately 4.9 million tonnes in 2025. According to CRU, demand is expected to grow to around 7.2 million tonnes by 2033.
EGA has been significantly investing in worldwide aluminum recycling capacity over the last several years. The company launched and operates the UAE’s largest aluminum recycling plant in Al Taweelah in Abu Dhabi. The company began cast metal production at its new 185,000 tonnes per year aluminum recycling plant in Al Taweelah in late February 2026. However, the plant is currently shut down as a result of Iranian missile and drone attacks at Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi.
The company has also acquired aluminum recycling facilities in Germany and the U.S., with expansion projects underway at both sites expected to provide an additional 200,000 tonnes of capacity.
EGA acquired the German specialty foundry Leichtmetall in May 2024. Based in Hannover, EGA Leichtmetall produces high-strength recycled aluminum. In December 2025, EGA announced a major expansion project that will increase the Germany plant’s recycling capacity more than six-fold, adding 110,000 tonnes per year of scrap sorting capacity and 153,000 tonnes per year of melting and casting capacity. The project represents an investment of approximately $170 million, with first hot metal expected in 2028.
In September 2024, EGA acquired Spectro Alloys, a recycling company in Minnesota in the U.S.. EGA Spectro Alloys completed an expansion in July 2025, bringing its total production capacity to 165,000 tonnes per year of recycled aluminum ingots and billets. A second expansion phase, adding a further 35,000 tonnes of billet capacity, is under development, with first hot metal expected in 2027.
EGA typically exports over 600 thousand tonnes of primary aluminum annually from the UAE to Europe each year, supplying key industries including automotive and construction. EGA markets its recycled aluminum globally under the brand RevivAL.