The facility is located in the heart of a growing can market, as Europeans now are using more than 30 billion cans a year. That equals 450,000 tonnes of used beverage cans (UBC) to recycle.

Waste for some, “silver” gold for others, Hydro turns this urban-mined resource into material for new can tabs, ends and bodies, closing the recycling loop.

Countries collect cans in various systems, where collected the bulk often contains impurities and other materials than aluminium.