The importance of aluminium foil usage to the global market was underlined by 90 participants from China, Europe, India, Japan, Middle East, North America, Russia, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey representing almost 80% of global aluminium foil production.
The conference programme covered the development in global aluminium foil demand (over 4% for the last 10 years, to 3.2Mt in 2010), the environmental performance of the smelters and its impact on the eco-performance of end-products, technical development in the rolling sector and foundries, the position of aluminium foil in the sustainability debate.
The first project ‘A Global Moment with Alufoil’ as a result of the first conference was launched. It covers a brochure and a website www.global-alufoil.org.
The global attendance concluded to the need to coordinate actions on sustainability to support market growth and promote development, aluminium foil for both packaging and technical applications saving far more resources than are consumed in its production, through complete supply and value chain. Co-operation with the global primary industry will be strengthened, and further tools for the promotion of aluminium foil sustainability developed.
“This is a breakthrough and a large success for the global aluminium foil industry, who is demonstrating its capability to answer to the challenges of a responsible and sustainable future”, said Francois Coeffic, EAFA president and chairman of the Bangkok conference.
The 2nd GLAFCO conference was initiated by the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) and sponsored by Achenbach Buschhuetten, a supplier of foil mills and co-sponsored by Novelis PAE and by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI).