The production of aluminium is very resource- and energy-intensive. Consequently, recycling is even more important for this lightweight metal – which is ubiquitous in engineering – than in other sectors. Recycling aluminium from existing end-of-life (EoL) and production waste requires only five per cent of the energy needed to produce primary material. However, one problem is that the metal is alloyed with a wide variety of other elements that are practically impossible to separate from one another. The current practice of mixing different end-of-life alloys inevitably leads to downcycling and a reduction in the available raw materials.
The EU research project RecAL (Recycling technologies for circular ALuminium), led by the AIT subsidiary LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen, is pursuing – in collaboration with 19 partner organisations from nine European countries – a novel approach that aims to transform the European aluminium industry towards a circular economy through innovative recycling technologies, digital networking and new alloying strategies. This involves strategically analysing every step of the production and reuse cycle across the entire value chain.
The objective: streams of recycled material with significantly improved purity levels
A key focus of RecAL is on solutions that enable a higher tolerance for recycled material in alloy design whilst preserving the material properties. Digitally controlled sorting processes are also being developed. This approach is complemented by the establishment of a digital “RecAL Hub”, a platform that intelligently links recycled material streams, innovative recycling technologies, and producers and consumers – a crucial step towards transforming the linear material flow into a closed-loop system.
Alongside materials research, the focus is on robotics, sensor technology and digital twins, with the aim of managing aluminium flows transparently and efficiently throughout their entire life cycle. This is intended to create recycled aluminium streams with significantly improved purity levels.
The aim is to connect stakeholders across Europe in order to significantly increase the proportion of secondary aluminium, conserve resources and sustainably improve the sector’s carbon footprint.
Ecology, competitiveness and resilience
“With RecAL, we intend to demonstrate that high-tech and the circular economy are not mutually exclusive,” emphasises Gerald Prantl, project manager at the LKR. A Europe-wide aluminium circular economy system lays the foundations for an industrial future that combines environmental sustainability with competitiveness, whilst also strengthening Europe’s resilience with regard to this valuable raw material.
The ReCal project, which runs until 2028, is attracting considerable public interest due to its high level of innovation and significant impact on European industry – for example, in 2025 it was awarded the ÖGUT Environmental Prize in the category “Towards a circular economy through research and innovation”.
AIT connects science and innovation
The ability to rapidly translate new findings into marketable technologies and practical solutions is increasingly becoming a key competitive factor for Europe. At this interface between science, technology and application, applied research at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology plays a central role. Austria’s largest research and technology organisation aligns its research closely with the needs of industry and current societal challenges. AIT’s research makes a difference and creates solutions – for businesses, society and, ultimately, for us all.
AIT Impact Report
The AIT Impact Report 2026 uses around 30 examples to illustrate how AIT, together with partners from industry, academia and the public sector, translates research into concrete solutions. The projects presented range from the digitalisation of industrial processes, through resilient infrastructure and sustainable energy and industrial systems, to health, mobility, security and the circular economy.
The AIT Impact Report 2026 is available online (in German): www.ait.ac.at/impact-report
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