The Organisation of European Aluminium Refiners and Remelters (OEA) is the international association of companies that deal with the recovery and recycling of aluminium. Members represent the final stages of the recycling chain and include producers of casting alloys (refiners) and of wrought alloys (remelters) if they predominantly use secondary raw materials for production. Furthermore, the aluminium recycling industry comprises processors of aluminium containing secondary raw materials, provided that they operate their plants on an industrial scale.
 
The tasks of the OEA consist on the one hand of promoting and furthering the recycling of aluminium, and on the other hand of representing the interests of the industry engaged in the recycling of aluminium. The OEA encourages the close co-operation of its members in the fields of market analysis, environmental protection, safety at the workplace, standardisation and many further activities which lie in the industry’s general interest.
 
The OEA was founded in Amsterdam in 1960 under Swiss law. Originally designed to be an exclusively European organisation, it is now active on a global scale. Apart from member companies in Western Europe, the OEA caters for companies in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.
 
Since January 2004 the OEA and the European Aluminium Association (EAA) are closely co-operating. OEA is running the EAA/OEA Recycling Division. The scope of activities of the Recycling Division comprises all production and product related aspects. This includes the positioning of the European aluminium industry with regard to their recycling qualification, improving the knowledge of recycling rates, scrap flows and scrap statistics, management of research projects linked to recycling, and consultation and support of recycling related activities within the end use markets.