Constellium celebrated the opening of its new advanced recycling center at its facility in Neuf-Brisach, France. This €130 million investment, supported by a grant from the France Relance investment program, will contribute to Constellium’s continued growth in the automotive and packaging industries, while promoting a circular, sustainable economy.
“I am very proud to celebrate the opening of this new state-of-the-art recycling center today,” said Jean-Marc Germain, CEO of Constellium. “This significant increase in our recycling capacity allows us to better respond to our customers’ demand for sustainable products, and to make significant strides towards our sustainability goals. The aluminium industry is a key player for the circular economy of tomorrow and with this investment, Constellium is well-positioned to contribute and benefit from society’s demand for sustainable and recyclable products.”
The new recycling center will increase the Neuf-Brisach plant’s capacity to recycle automotive and packaging products by up to 75%, adding 130,000 tonnes. With this new capacity, the facility also expects to increase the recycled content rate of its products, responding to the growing demand for sustainable materials in the automotive and packaging sectors.
The investment brings Constellium’s global recycling capacity to approximately 735,000 tonnes and contributes to a reduction of approximately 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, supporting the company’s sustainability targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 30% in 2030 (vs. 2021) and increasing recycled input to at least 50% by 2030.
In line with Constellium’s commitment to reduce its environmental footprint, comprehensive biodiversity studies were conducted during the construction process to minimize the impact on the local ecosystem. Advanced solutions have been implemented to optimize industrial processes while limiting environmental impact. These technologies maximize energy efficiency, minimize water consumption, and significantly reduce air emissions.
Crown Beverage Cans
The newly inaugurated aluminum recycling center achieved a major milestone by successfully qualifying its first aluminum coils with Crown, a global leader in metal packaging. The aluminum coils, produced mainly from post-consumer scrap, have passed rigorous qualification tests at Crown’s manufacturing plants in France and Spain. Crown has approved the use of Constellium’s aluminum coils in its beverage cans, marking a significant step forward in the sustainability journeys of both companies.
The qualification by Crown is an important achievement for Constellium, demonstrating the company’s commitment to provide high-quality recycled solutions for its customers and to support their sustainability goals.
“We are delighted with the development of this new recycling center that brings more used beverage cans (UBCs) recycling capacity to the market, aligning with our ongoing commitment toward circularity,” said John Rost, senior vice president – Crown Technology, Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs. “Using these coils within our production fosters higher levels of recycled content in our products and helps fulfill the sustainability goals established in our Twentyby30™ program.”
Across Crown’s value chain partnerships, they continuously look to support the can industry and its commitment of increasing can collection, namely through the implementation of deposit return systems (DRS) in its markets to drive a stronger circular economy.
“We are grateful to Crown for their long-term partnership and for their support,” said Ingrid Joerg, chief operating officer of Constellium. “By enhancing our recycling capabilities and collaborating with trusted partners like Crown, we are making significant strides towards reducing carbon emissions and driving circularity in the packaging market.”