The announcement that Boeing will be offering increased quantities of aluminum scrap for auction this quarter may indicate an increase in activity at the Seattle plane maker and will certainly be a welcome increase in supply to a market in need of more top quality segregated scrap. Lack of plentiful good quality scrap has been one contributing factor in billet prices, and it doesn’t come much better than traceable segregated scrap from the aerospace industry. According to Metal Bulletin, Boeing will be offering an additional 380,000 lbs across all grades — equivalent to about an 18% increase. As welcome as this scrap generation from Boeing will be, it is set to fall in the years ahead as production of the Dreamliner takes over from older models. The 787 has a far higher percentage of carbon fiber in its construction.

–Stuart Burns