Baled, magnetically-separated used aluminium beverage cans (3104/5182). The benchmark closed-loop recycling grade, densified to 14–22 lb/ft³.

ISRI Grade Name: Taldon (UBC — Used Beverage Cans, baled)

ISRI Description and Specification

Taldon is the ISRI designation for baled used aluminium beverage cans — empty, magnetically separated, compacted into bales within a specified density range of approximately 14 to 22 pounds per cubic foot depending on whether the cans are pre-flattened (shredded) or baled as-received. The material must be magnetically separated (to remove any steel cans that may have entered the stream), free of lead in any form, free of plastic bottles or other packaging, and free of all other foreign material. UBC is one of the most economically significant aluminium scrap grades globally, as the beverage can is one of the most recyclable mass-produced aluminium products, with closed-loop can-to-can recycling cycles of as little as 60 days in mature markets.

Alloy and Processing Characteristics

Modern aluminium beverage cans use primarily 3104 alloy for can bodies and 5182 alloy for can ends — both 3xxx and 5xxx series alloys with specific magnesium content. Closed-loop UBC recycling (UBC back to can sheet) is the highest-value use of Taldon material, practiced by large-scale aluminium can-sheet producers like Novelis and Constellium in North America and Europe. In India, where can-sheet production at this scale is less developed, Taldon is typically processed into secondary 3xxx/5xxx alloy ingots for use in general sheet, packaging, or casting applications rather than can-to-can recycling.

Who Uses Taldon Scrap

Aluminium can-sheet producers (closed-loop recyclers), secondary aluminium smelters, and general sheet ingot producers are the primary consumers globally. In India, importers of Taldon supply domestic secondary smelters in Gujarat and Maharashtra who produce secondary aluminium ingots for the packaging and consumer goods sectors. Domestic UBC collection programs — through municipality recycling, informal sector collection (ragpickers and kabadiwallas), and beverage company take-back programs — are also growing contributors to the domestic Taldon supply. Multinational beverages companies operating in India (Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Carlsberg) are increasingly investing in domestic UBC recycling infrastructure in response to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations under India’s plastic and packaging waste rules.