The Regain approach to the processing the by-products of the aluminium production process have a number of environmental benefits:

• No landfill or storage of waste minerals at the smelter site
• Lower process temperatures for manufacturing products such as bricks and cement, meaning lower energy consumption requirements
• A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to lower energy consumption requirements

Back in the 1980’s, the possibility of an Australian aluminium smelter closing its landfill would have seemed extremely remote.Today, aluminium smelter landfills that used to handle thousands of tonnes of material each year are closed or are in the process of closing.

At one Australian smelter, where Regain remanufactures residual carbon materials into cement kiln fuel, 5.7 hectares of licenced landfill has been returned to natural wetlands. Where once waste materials were destined to be buried, now migratory birds, kangaroos, frogs and other wildlife are thriving.