THE STORY

Raffmetal was founded in 1979, at a time when aluminium—although less widely used than metals such as cast iron and steel—was beginning to emerge thanks to its unique properties. The company recognised its potential and placed recycling at the core of its business model.
Initially, Raffmetal also produced aluminium alloys in liquid form to support its sister company Fondital, later extending this service to the entire aluminium value chain within a 250 km of Casto.

This type of supply—unique in Italy and operating 24/7—today delivers economic, environmental and energy benefits, helping customers remain competitive in a market increasingly focused on sustainability.

In 1985, with the acquisition of the Ferriera 5 plant, Raffmetal launched its first concrete sustainability initiative, aimed at efficiency improvement and a zero-waste policy.
The recovery plant enables the valorisation of the chemical components contained in melting process residues—such as salts, granules and aluminium—which are reintroduced into Raffmetal’s production cycle, while aluminium oxides are returned to the market.

Since 1989, the company has completely eliminated the disposal of melting residues in landfills.

In 1994, Raffmetal introduced the Continuous Casting system—an innovation in aluminium melting—offering numerous advantages:numerosi vantaggi:

• Improved quality and reduced defects: faster solidification ensures a fine and homogeneous structure.
• Higher metal yield and fewer oxides: solidification occurs without contact with air.
• Optimised storage space: the area dedicated to ingot bundles is reduced by 40%.
• Customisation of bar length and weight: enabling faster unloading, storage and handling.
• Increased safety: reduced risks during bar charging into furnaces, with lower explosion risk and reduced maintenance and ingot preheating time.
• Guaranteed traceability: each bar is engraved with the melt number, allowing customers to trace the entire production cycle.

In 1996, Raffmetal acquired the Odolo plant with the aim of centralising scrap processing, crushing and separation operations.
Today, this site hosts all facilities dedicated to scrap treatment and processing.

In the same year, the company also obtained ISO 9001 certification, attesting to the high quality standards of its products and processes.

Since 2000, Raffmetal has collaborated with the Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences of the University of Milano-Bicocca on biodiversity research and monitoring, with particular focus on vegetation in the Casto area and neighbouring municipalities. The company is committed to environmental preservation, avoiding operations near protected areas with high biodiversity, thus reaffirming its commitment to sustainable development.

With the adoption of ISO 14001, Raffmetal strengthened its commitment to environmental sustainability by improving overall performance, reducing environmental impact, optimising resource use and ensuring regulatory compliance.

In 2012, Raffmetal adopted Legislative Decree 231 compliance Model to prevent unlawful conduct and crimes, including those related to the environment and workplace safety.

To further ensure ethical and responsible management, the company also developed a Code of Ethics defining behavioural guidelines applicable to all individuals acting on behalf of the company worldwide.

In 2013, Raffmetal established an in-house chemical laboratory for the analysis and control of production processes, ensuring product quality and compliance.

In the same year, the company invested in an Oxygen Pipeline—a 9 km pipeline connecting the Casto and Odolo plants—reducing CO₂ emissions and improving safety by removing 2,500 trucks per year from the roads.

The CSR department dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility was also established, promoting responsible policies and initiatives for the community and the environment.

Since 2014, Raffmetal has invested in a Heat Recovery Plant, a technology that recovers thermal energy from production processes for salt slag treatment, delivering significant benefits in terms of energy cost reduction, savings, and lower environmental impact and CO₂ emissions.

From 2023 onwards, following the upgrade of existing systems, the salt residue recovery process is powered exclusively by the heat recovery plant.
In the same period, the company also built a new storage and shipping warehouse in Zanetti, adjacent to the Casto plant.

Since 2016, Raffmetal has participated in the Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) programme, aimed at promoting employee health and wellbeing in the workplace through six areas of action:

1. Healthy nutrition
2. Physical activity
3. Tobacco smoking prevention
4. Prevention of alcohol and substance abuse
5. Wellbeing and work–life balance
6. Road safety and mobility

IATF 16949 is a standard specific to automotive suppliers, focused on process-based approaches, continuous improvement and risk management within the supply chain.

Raffmetal thus demonstrates compliance with the requirements for continuous improvement processes.

Since 2019, the energy management systems of Raffmetal’s Malpaga and Ferriera plants have been certified according to ISO 50001, followed in 2021 by the Odolo plant. This confirms the company’s commitment to integrating sustainability culture into its policies and daily practices.

In 2019, the Special Alloys plant was established in Vobarno, dedicated to the production of a new and innovative range of primary aluminium alloys from recycling.

In the same year, Raffmetal launched an environmental impact assessment of its alloys through an LCA study, in collaboration with the University of Siena.

In 2020, Raffmetal launched the SILVAL range: primary aluminium alloys from recycling with performance comparable to those produced from extraction.

The Odolo plant was expanded with highly efficient systems designed to process different types of scrap, ensuring accurate separation based on the chemical properties of the metal.

Raffmetal obtained ISO 45001 certification—replacing the previous OHSAS 18001 achieved in 2018—an international standard aimed at improving worker safety, preventing injuries and occupational diseases, and creating safe working environments.

In 2020, the company also achieved ASI (Aluminium Stewardship Initiative) Performance Standard certification, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable and responsible practices across the aluminium value chain.

In 2021, Raffmetal, the University of Siena and its spin-off INDACO2 collaborated to develop a PCR (Product Category Rules) for non-construction aluminium, a prerequisite for obtaining EPD certification.

The draft was submitted to public consultation and approved in December 2022 by Environdec’s technical committee, the programme operator issuing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

The PCR for aluminium refiners became an international benchmark, consolidating Raffmetal’s leadership in recycled aluminium.

In May 2022, the company obtained EPD pre-certification for all product lines, pending approval of the PCR for non-construction aluminium, demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental, energy and sustainability performance.
This provides added value not only for customers but for the entire supply chain.

In addition, a new warehouse was acquired in Nuvolera, 30 km from the Casto headquarters, dedicated to finished product storage to improve delivery service quality.

In 2023, Raffmetal achieved four certifications, further strengthening its reputation as a reliable partner:

• EPD, following approval of the PCR for non-construction aluminium;
• ISO 14064, for verification and validation of greenhouse gas emissions calculations;
• AEO, customs authorisation ensuring reliability and speed in international trade;
• TISAX, information security certification for data protection in information exchange.

In March 2024, Raffmetal achieved the EcoVadis Platinum Rating, ranking in the top 1% of more than 130,000 companies assessed. This recognition highlights the company’s commitment to sustainability, reduced energy consumption and lower carbon footprint, confirming its position as a European leader in aluminium recycling.