Mizuho Bank, リバー and Nippon Light Metal announced that their demonstration project to reuse mixed aluminum scrap as feedstock for wrought aluminum products had been selected as a fiscal 2026 project by the Ministry of the Environment. They aim to expand reuse in Japan by verifying sorting technologies and material composition.
Mizuho Bank, リバー and Nippon Light Metal announced that their demonstration project to reuse mixed aluminum scrap as feedstock for sheet and extruded products had been selected as a fiscal 2026 project by the Ministry of the Environment. リバー will serve as the lead operator, Nippon Light Metal and Mizuho Bank will be joint implementers, and Mizuho Leasing will provide cooperation.
The project will combine X-ray and laser sorting with リバー's wet gravity separation equipment to sort scrap of different origins and qualities by alloy type. The sorted material will be melted, and the conditions under which it can be used for wrought aluminum products will be verified through composition adjustment and quality assessment.
Much of the mixed scrap is used for cast products or exported, and a system for reusing it in wrought aluminum products in Japan is not yet sufficiently established. The 3 companies will examine sorting accuracy, economic viability and the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions during manufacturing, and consider challenges to commercialization. The project aims to promote resource circulation and reduce dependence on overseas sources.