Kaiser Aluminum Corp. in Foothill Ranch and Chicago-based Boeing Co. announced they have started a scrap aluminum recycling program, the largest of its kind to date according to company officials.
The program is expected to salvage approximately 22 million pounds of copper and zinc aluminum alloys over the next two years of so. The material is generated at multiple Boeing facilities during the production of commercial aircraft.
The scrap will be melted down at Kaiser Aluminum’s Trentwood facility in Spokane, Wash., for re-use in the production of aerospace sheet and plate metal.
“We look forward to continuing to develop opportunities with our customers to enhance the efficiency of the overall value stream,” Jack Hockema, Kaiser Aluminum’s chief executive said in a news release.
“Boeing is focused on reducing the environmental footprint of commercial aviation through the aircraft’s lifecycle, which includes working with suppliers to increase materials recyclability and reduce manufacturing waste,” added John Byrne, vice president of Boeing Aircraft Materials and Structures.
