Using aluminum printing plates, or lithographic sheets, in your production processes? 

You probably already know the scrap is a valuable commodity. 

But when recycling isn't your organization's main focus — and you have logistical challenges to overcome and quotas to meet — it can seem impossible to bridge the gap between what your printing plates are worth and what you're able to sell them for. Which is why it's good to have a specialized partner you can rely on. 

Here are our top tips for getting the best price for your aluminum printing plate scrap, and a look at how Metaloop's all-in-one solution can help streamline the recycling process, saving you time, effort, and hair-tearing. 

Who buys aluminum printing plates scrap?

There are two primary ways to recycle aluminum printing plates:

• A "net of aluminum" contract, in which you return the printing plates to the manufacturer you bought them from after use
• Selling them on

At first glance, a "net of aluminum" contract might seem like the best option, because the manufacturer is responsible for recycling. 

There's no need to go through the hassle of finding buyers and negotiating terms. 

More significantly, there's no exposure to the commodity markets. The manufacturer retains ownership of the printing plates and, so, takes on the risk of fluctuations in aluminum prices.  

The catch is that, in a "net of aluminum" arrangement, recycling is typically bundled into the manufacturer's overall fee, so it's difficult to understand whether you're getting the best price (or, at the very least, fair market value).

"'Net of aluminum' contracts don't usually have itemized pricing," explains Metaloop's CEO and co-founder Jan Pannenbäcker. "I assume most buyers of printing plates who consider 'net of aluminum' contracts compare providers. 

"But it's not possible to compare a 'net of aluminum' contract with what your printing plates might fetch on the open market. So there's no way to know whether you're getting good value or paying a premium for leaving the risk with the manufacturer."

Selling aluminum printing plates scrap 

While selling printing plates scrap directly to buyers has its risks — specifically, between the time you buy them and sell the scrap, aluminum prices might go down — there's more room for optimization. 

"You can use official price indexes, like the London Metal Exchange, to benchmark offers," explains Jan Pannenbäcker. "And if prices are too low, you can monitor the situation and sell your scrap once the market turns."

Of course, this approach also has its pitfalls. 

For starters, the prices you're offered for your scrap can vary widely depending on the type of buyer you're dealing with (we'll go into more detail about this below). 

There's also the matter of logistics. In particular, proper storage and the volumes you're able to deliver can have a big impact not just on price, but also on which buyers you're able to attract. 

Metal recycling companies vs foundries

Aluminum printing plates scrap buyers are typically either metal recycling companies or foundries. 

As the name suggests, metal recycling companies buy metal scrap from various sources, such as construction sites, industrial manufacturers, and commercial and residential waste, sort it, and sell it on.  

Foundries, on the other hand, buy scrap to use as raw material. They melt it down, purify it, then use the resulting product to create alloys, ingots, billets, or sheets made to particular industrial or commercial clients' specifications. 

From a pricing perspective, you'll likely get a better deal if you sell direct to foundries, because these are "end-users." In other words, when you sell to a foundry, you're cutting out the middlemen. 

By contrast, metal recycling companies tend to function as intermediaries. 

Depending on whether the company has a local, regional, or national presence, there may be another seven to eight intermediaries in the supply chain. Each of these will take a cut of the profits, which ultimately means less money in your pocket. 

Needless to say, foundries pay higher prices for a reason: they need the scrap to be up to specific quality standards. 

Just as important, they need a reliable supply, so they can meet their production targets. As a result, alongside complying with material specifications, you must also be able to supply a high enough volume and deliver with the required regularity to the specified location.  

How to get the best price for printing plates scrap through better processes and technology

While you may have more leeway when selling to an intermediary (up to a point), there's a direct correlation between the volume and quality of aluminum printing plates scrap, and the price you can get for it. 

Quality matters

Higher-quality scrap is more likely to meet exacting specifications, and requires less processing. This saves buyers time, money, and resources, and lowers the risk they might have to discard or return part or all of a delivery because it's not fit for use. For these reasons, buyers are willing to pay more for it.  

The latest guidelines from ISRI,  the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, specify that "clean" aluminum lithographic sheets scrap should:

• Consist of 1000 or 3000 series alloys
• Have a size of at least 8 cm in any direction
• Be free of paper, plastic, excessively inked sheets, or other contaminants

As a minimum, you should keep printing plates separate from other metal scrap, and, if at all possible, from other aluminum scrap too. Store it in a cool, dry place, to prevent corrosion.

Higher volumes give you more leverage

Whether you're recycling aluminum printing plates or other types of metal scrap, the more you can aggregate before finding a buyer, the higher the price you can get. 

"Larger volumes keep transportation costs down and give buyers more supply security,' notes Jan Pannenbäcker. "So, being able to supply a large amount of scrap puts you in a stronger negotiating position."

Of course, since printing plates are typically large but lightweight, aggregation can be challenging, especially if your main business is printing, packaging, or another sector unrelated to heavy industry. 

Unless you produce large volumes of scrap, you'll need physical space where you can store used printing plates under the right conditions. And this may drive up your costs to the point where aggregation is simply not worth the effort. 

Leverage network effects and get more for your aluminum printing plates, with Metaloop's all-in-one solution

As it happens, you don't need several square kilometers' worth of storage space (or a sophisticated logistics department) to get the best price for your aluminum printing plates scrap. 

Metaloop helps you optimize the sales process, whether you're a small local printer or a large multinational. Here's why. 

First, the Metaloop portal compares rates, and shortlists the best prices. 

Because we have a global network of partners, working with us means you're not limited by region. We can pinpoint where aluminum printing plates scrap is in most demand and, so, will fetch the highest prices. 

Second, we aggregate printing plates scrap from various sellers — even if they're located in different regions — so we can deliver high volumes on demand. 

This has enabled us to gain contracts with some of the largest foundries and smelters in the world. "These buyers," says Jan Pannenbäcker, "pay a premium because we can guarantee a supply of aluminum printing plates scrap, in the volumes they require. And that means we can offer sellers more competitive prices."

Third, we have partnerships in place to handle storage, logistics, as well as value-added services such as processing and compacting. And that means we can help you simplify operations, no matter how complex they are. 

Case in point, by using Metaloop to bundle all their European volumes, one of our clients, a Belgian packaging manufacturer with a global presence, gained more visibility into their recycling processes. 

This newfound visibility enabled them to pinpoint an issue that was holding them back and, in turn, to make their manufacturing processes more sustainable while increasing efficiency. 

Sustainability pays. Let's help you maximize its value

According to a 2023 study in the Harvard Business Review, consumers are very close to reaching a tipping point when it comes to sustainability. 

More and more, it's not a nice-to-have, but a "baseline requirement for purchase." 

In other words, the more sustainable you are, the greater the number of consumers who will want to buy from you, and the more likely they are to come back. Because sustainability is proof of your business' positive intent, and, so, critical to winning long-term trust. 

Of course, consumer expectations aside, there's a moral imperative for recycling printing plates: minimizing waste and reducing the impact of manufacturing on the planet. The flipside is that the practical and financial realities of running a business can get in the way of the best of intentions. 

With Metaloop, balancing these all-important considerations with your business' needs is much easier. 

Why compromise, when you can show your customers you're walking the talk on sustainability, and build a valuable additional revenue stream in the bargain?

Find out more  about how we can help you sell your aluminum printing plates for the best price.

Book a free, no-obligation chat with our specialist, Lukas: