On March 6, Yamaichi Metal Co., Ltd. signed a joint venture agreement with UACJ Corporation to process used beverage cans (UBCs).
To accelerate the promotion of horizontal recycling of aluminum cans, a new joint venture company will be established, creating a new supply chain from UBC collection to aluminum can-derived pellets. This will enable an increase in domestic UBC usage, promoting the SDGs and improving the CAN to CAN recycling rate. The new joint venture company is scheduled to start operations in April 2025.
In this supply chain, Yamaichi Metal will handle raw material procurement and provide technology for UBCs, while UACJ will install equipment in the new joint venture company. This processing equipment will crush, sort, and roast UBCs to produce chips called pellets derived from aluminum cans with the paint removed. The pellets will then undergo melting, casting, and rolling processes to become aluminum can material once again.
Yamaichi Metal aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and industrial waste by accelerating the horizontal recycling of used aluminum cans back into new aluminum cans. We will continue to strive to solve various environmental and social issues on Earth.
■Overview of the New Joint Venture Company:
・Name: To be determined
・Location: Within UACJ Fukui Manufacturing Plant (Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture)
・Representative: To be determined
・Capital: 100 million yen
・Investment Ratio: UACJ 60%, Yamaichi Metal 40%
・Number of Employees: Approximately 50 (planned)
■New Recycling System:
・Start of Operations: Scheduled for April 2025
About UACJ:
UACJ Corporation is a comprehensive aluminum manufacturer based in Japan with a global business presence. The company’s group philosophy is “Contributing to a sustainable and prosperous society with technology that maximizes the potential of materials.” UACJ operates six business segments: flat rolled products, automotive parts, extrusions, foil, casting and forging, and metal processing, supplying aluminum materials to a wide range of industries. For the fiscal year ending March 2022, UACJ recorded sales of 782.9 billion yen and employed approximately 9,600 people worldwide.
