As the UK confronts an increasingly complex and competitive global industrial landscape, the role of foundational materials like aluminium has never been more vital. Often overlooked, frequently misunderstood, and too rarely championed, aluminium is quietly enabling everything from national defence and energy transition to automotive innovation and architectural design. It’s time we made more noise about that.
That’s why ALFED is proud to be working with Content With Purpose and a wide range of our members and partners to launch a new campaign and content film: The Element of Choice. This initiative seeks to reframe how aluminium is seen, not just within industry circles, but across government, education, and the wider public. It builds on the momentum of the UK Aluminium Alliance and the wider Back British Metals movement, with a clear goal: to amplify aluminium’s voice, make its value visible, and position it where it belongs, at the heart of the UK’s industrial future.
A Strategic Material Hiding in Plain Sight
Aluminium is more than a versatile metal, it is the lifeblood of countless UK sectors. Whether it’s lightweight components in electric vehicles, high-performance alloys in aerospace, or circular solutions in modern construction, aluminium is everywhere. It contributes over £2 billion to UK GDP annually, supports more than 120,000 jobs across the value chain, and is classified by NATO as one of the most critical materials for future global security.
Yet despite this, it suffers from a visibility problem. Aluminium is rarely included in the same breath as steel in industrial policy. Public understanding is limited, often associated with packaging waste or the outdated term “scrap”. Government procurement strategies rarely prioritise its use, even where it could deliver measurable benefits in carbon reduction, energy efficiency, or economic resilience.
The consequence? We export up to one million tonnes of aluminium scrap each year, more than 80% of what we recover, losing an estimated £3.7 billion in circular economy value annually. We lack a national scrap retention strategy, have no alloy-level commodity tracking, and face high energy prices that penalise domestic reprocessing. In short, the UK is losing ground in an area where it could be leading.
The Element of Choice: Reframing the Narrative
The Element of Choice campaign is designed to tackle this challenge head-on. Through a dedicated film and digital media series, we are telling the real story of UK aluminium: its people, its products, and its potential.
With the support of ALFED members including Boal UK Extrusion Ltd, Countrywide Metals, Novelis UK Ltd, Amari Metals, and Scanmetals, we are highlighting the tangible ways aluminium is shaping a better future, from urban regeneration projects using recycled extrusions to high-precision manufacturing for clean transport and defence systems.
We are also proud to be including contributions from industry leaders such as Kirsty Davies-Chinnock of Women With Metal, the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, and advocates from the Back British Metals campaign. Their voices represent the breadth of the UK aluminium community, from family-run foundries and innovators in circularity to those driving global standards in environmental and social governance.
Together, we are delivering a clear and compelling message: aluminium is not waste. It is not an afterthought. It is the element of choice for the UK’s industrial future.
Aligning with the UK Aluminium Alliance
This campaign is not a standalone effort. It is intrinsically linked with the work of the UK Aluminium Alliance - a national coalition convened by ALFED in partnership with Dr Mark Jones of CONETZ (Connecting for Net Zero). Together, we are uniting stakeholders from across the entire value chain, from recycling and reprocessing to fabrication, end use, and export, to build a coordinated strategy for growth, decarbonisation, and resilience.
At our recent Alliance workshop, we heard a unified call for stronger visibility, smarter messaging, and better policy alignment. The need to shift language, from “scrap” to “urban ore”, from “waste” to “resource”, was one of the most consistent themes raised. So too was the need to address fragmented data, improve SME access to R&D, and increase our representation in government-led trade and innovation platforms.
The Element of Choice film will act as both a storytelling tool and a strategic asset, supporting our wider advocacy work with government, industry and investors. It will give voice to the businesses on the ground who are already building a cleaner, stronger, more circular aluminium economy, and shine a light on the barriers they still face.
Building Public Understanding and Political Will
In many ways, this campaign is about visibility. We know that industries which show up in the public eye - steel, automotive, aerospace - are more likely to be factored into national policy, procurement frameworks, and funding calls. Aluminium must take its seat at the table.
We are already seeing signs of change. The recent recognition of aluminium as a critical mineral in UK strategy is a welcome first step. So too is the growing interest from policymakers in using public procurement to prioritise low carbon, domestically produced materials. But much more is needed. ALFED is calling for:
• A national scrap retention strategy to keep value in the UK
• Formal recognition of aluminium in Net Zero, procurement, and innovation policy
• An aluminium Centre of Excellence to support SME innovation and scale-up
• Parity with other foundation industries on energy pricing and carbon investment
• A public education campaign to reposition aluminium as a career of the future
We are not doing this alone. Partnerships with organisations like the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) ensure that sustainability remains front and centre. Collaboration with Women With Metal ensures that talent and diversity are part of the long-term solution. And our alignment with Back British Metals creates a unified voice across the metals sector to lobby for smarter, joined-up industrial strategy.
Turning Words into Action
Through The Element of Choice, we are not just telling a story. We are inviting people to join a movement.
We want policymakers to see aluminium not just as a material, but as a multiplier - supporting resilience in defence, energy, and infrastructure. We want the public to see it not as scrap, but as a sustainable, infinitely recyclable asset. And we want the next generation of engineers, designers, and technicians to see aluminium as a place where they can build careers, solve challenges, and make a difference.
The UK aluminium industry has already shown resilience, adaptability, and vision. But to fully realise its potential, we need clarity, consistency, and collective action. This film is part of that effort. A catalyst for visibility. A tool for advocacy. And a reminder that we have an opportunity, perhaps a responsibility, to build a stronger, smarter industrial future. Aluminium is the element of choice. It’s time to treat it like one.