On April 14, 2026, Novelis—the leading producer of flat-rolled aluminium products and the world’s largest recycler of aluminium—officially announced the extension of its strategic partnership with Infinitum, the operator of Norway’s national deposit return system (DRS) for beverage containers. The renewed long-term agreement reinforces a shared commitment between the two organizations to ensure that all aluminium beverage cans used in Norway are efficiently collected, recycled, and returned directly into the production loop. This cooperation, based on a direct material flow, results in a stable, highly transparent, and low-carbon closed-loop system for the global packaging industry.
Direct Logistics: From Norway to the United Kingdom
The technical and logistical foundation of this collaboration is a strictly controlled, direct material loop. Under the framework of this system, the post-consumer aluminium collected and sorted at Infinitum’s recycling facilities across Norway is transported directly to Novelis’ advanced recycling plant located in Latchford, United Kingdom.
Upon arrival at the Latchford facility, the incoming secondary raw material is processed and rolled into brand new aluminium can sheet. According to both parties, this direct material loop serves as one of the strongest industrial examples of the circular economy in action. It successfully combines high-quality material recycling with highly efficient and fully transparent logistics, ensuring that no resources are lost in the supply chain.
Transparency and Scalability: Leadership Perspectives
Regarding the extension of the agreement, executives from both companies highlighted the system’s reliability and its data-driven operational model.
Alexandre Gellert, Vice President of Metal Procurement for Novelis in Europe, stated:
“This partnership demonstrates how circular systems can work at scale. By securing a stable stream of post-consumer aluminium and integrating it into Novelis’ recycling and rolling system, we increase recycled content and reduce CO2e emissions in line with our Vision 3×30.”
Kjell Olav A. Maldum, CEO of Infinitum, emphasized the critical importance of reliability and access to transparent data:
“Novelis is a critical partner in closing the loop for beverage cans collected through our deposit system. We have full transparency on volumes, quality, and lead times, which enables us to operate a stable and cost-efficient system while delivering predictable, low-carbon outcomes.”
Quantitative Targets: The “Vision 3×30” Strategy
The newly signed long-term agreement with Infinitum directly supports Novelis’ ambitious sustainability strategy, known as Vision 3×30. Through this corporate initiative, the company aims to achieve the following quantified climate and production milestones by the year 2030:
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Maximizing Recycled Content: Increase the average recycled content in its products to 75%.
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Radical Emission Reduction: Reduce the company’s carbon emissions intensity to below 3 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per tonne of flat-rolled aluminium shipped.
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Industry Leadership: Lead global aluminium circularity through dedicated “first-mover” investments by 2030.
Corporate Background and Future Outlook
This renewed agreement provides long-term stability for both partners while simultaneously opening up new opportunities to further optimize material flows, logistical operations, and overall environmental performance. The partnership between Novelis—which operates as a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, the metals flagship company of the Mumbai-based multinational conglomerate Aditya Birla Group—and Infinitum serves as a clear demonstration that cross-value chain collaboration can significantly accelerate the transition to a circular economy and deliver tangible environmental benefits at a massive scale.
Reference and Official Source:
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Original Press Release (Novelis Newsroom, April 14, 2026): Novelis Extends Partnership with Infinitum to Advance Aluminium Can Recycling in Norway
