Novelis successfully commissioned the new baghouses at its recycling center in Latchford, U.K.. This represents a major milestone in the plant’s $90 million expansion project. The project, first announced in mid-2024, aims to aims to double the doubling the site’s capacity to recycle used beverage cans (UBCs), transforming Latchford into a state-of-the-art recycling hub.
The investment project will include the installation of state-of-the-art shredding, sorting, de-coating, and melting technologies, as well as the construction of a new dross house and three new bag houses. This will enable the plant to recycle new types of aluminum scrap while increasing recycling capacity by by 85,000 tonnes and improving operational efficiency.
The new bag houses, supplied by Scheuch GmbH, are part of this broader upgrade, helping to ensure high separation efficiency and safe extraction of contaminants, as well as an energy-efficient operation of the recycling operation. The expanded recycling capacity combined with the implementation of advanced technologies will result in an annual CO2e reduction of more than 350,000 tonnes for Novelis Europe.
Once fully operational, the Latchford facility will be able to recycle 100% of UBCs to be collected under the U.K.’s upcoming Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). This will create a local, fully circular system that will avoid the need to export scrap from the UK., thus ensuring a truly local, circular aluminum economy.
“This milestone is not just about technology; it’s about impact,” noted Novelis in their press announcement. “By strengthening the UK’s recycling infrastructure, Novelis is facilitating to keep valuable materials in the country, reduce reliance on imports, and support customers in reaching their sustainability goals.”
