Evangelos Mytilineos, Chairman and CEO of Metlen, has issued a pointed call to European policymakers to urgently restrict exports of aluminium scrap, warning of a looming “silent crisis” that threatens to erode the foundations of Europe’s recycling system and compromise its industrial resilience.
Speaking publicly through a LinkedIn post, Mytilineos drew attention to a sharp increase in shipments of recyclable aluminium from Europe to the United States. He attributed this trend to a recent U.S. policy shift that doubled import tariffs on primary aluminium to 50%, while leaving recycled aluminium tariff-free. This has significantly heightened demand for European scrap in the U.S. market, resulting in what he described as a "drain" on a strategically vital raw material—one that is critical for green technologies and circular manufacturing.
“Europe is facing a silent crisis: aluminium scrap, the key raw material for recycling, is leaving the continent at record levels,” Mytilineos warned. Far from being mere waste, aluminium scrap, he argued, embodies stored energy, industrial value, and geostrategic relevance. Its unchecked export is weakening the continent’s green transition efforts, damaging domestic recycling industries, and undermining the EU’s ambitions for technological and energy independence.
In his appeal, Mytilineos rejected claims that restrictions on scrap exports would be protectionist. Instead, he framed such measures as essential to defending Europe’s long-term industrial viability. He emphasized the need for the EU to stop giving away its competitive advantage and instead begin to actively safeguard it. He went so far as to suggest that the European Commission consider introducing export duties on aluminium scrap to prevent further strategic leakage.
Aluminium scrap plays a central role in the EU’s climate and industrial policies. As a base material for the production of sustainable technologies, defense equipment, and everyday consumer products, it offers a pathway to reducing carbon emissions. Its recycling requires up to 95% less energy compared to producing primary aluminium, making it one of the most environmentally efficient industrial processes currently available.
Greece is already a leader in this field. Metlen’s subsidiary, Aluminium Processing Metallurgy, is the largest independent producer of recycled aluminium in the country and a key player in the broader European market. Utilizing advanced sorting and purification technology, the company transforms both industrial and consumer scrap into high-quality aluminium used across a wide range of sectors, including automotive manufacturing, construction, and electronics.
In an era where the European Union is prioritizing strategic autonomy and reducing reliance on foreign energy and raw materials, Mytilineos’s intervention underscores a growing concern: Europe is allowing critical resources to flow out of its borders at a time when retaining them could mean the difference between leadership and vulnerability. The EU, he argued, must act boldly and quickly—not only for environmental reasons but for the sake of industrial and geopolitical security.
Aluminium, which retains its physical properties no matter how many times it is recycled, is an ideal material for the circular economy. With secondary production requiring just a fraction of the energy needed for primary aluminium, it is crucial to the EU’s decarbonization strategy. Mytilineos believes Europe must act now to preserve its supply and maintain its edge—before it is too late.
