Environmental

Protecting today, Preserving tomorrow

Actually recycled

Steel is a permanent material meaning that it can be endlessly recycled without any loss of quality. In Europe, 85.5% of steel packaging is recycled making it the most recycled material for food, beverage and other household packaging.

Proactive industry innovation

The European steel industry has halved its energy usage and CO2 emissions since 1960. It is currently investigating breakthrough technologies that would allow for a future emission reduction of a similar magnitude. We have clear plans and concrete projects to reduce our sector’s C02 emissions by at least 30% by 2030 and to achieve climate-neutral steel production in the EU by 2050.

Recycling that creates value

Recycling one tonne of steel saves over 2 tonnes of raw materials and also helps to reduce CO2 emissions. In fact, each item of recycled steel packaging saves over 1.5 times its weight in CO2. In addition, the more steel packaging is properly collected, sorted and recycled, the more material is kept within the material loop, creating value and growing the circular economy. By integrating recycled steel into the manufacturing process our industry achieves energy savings of 70% and lowers CO2 emissions – regardless of the final use of new steel being produced. The industry is strongly committed to the further reduction of CO2 emissions by actively promoting the recycling of steel, increasing packaging optimisation and eco-design, and applying more sustainable production technologies.

Source: worldsteel

APEAL’s members might be steel producers, but they are steel recyclers too !

Scrap is an inherent component of the steel manufacturing process. APEAL’s members work with local authorities and contribute to many national initiatives to increase consumer awareness of the benefits of recycling.

Trusted efficiency

With its portion-sized packaging, long shelf life and ambient storage capabilities, steel’s reliability allows it to save food and resources, including energy. Portion-sized packaging means consumers can buy according to their needs. Steel provides a 100% barrier against light, water and air. Contents are protected from the environment, and the environment is protected from packaged contents such as volatile, hazardous or inflammable products.

Canned products have a natural shelf life of up to five years, with no need for chemical additives for preservation. The canning process “locks in” taste and nutrients – in fact, the vitamin content of canned food has been proven many times to be equal to fresh.

What’s more, steel for packaging reduces energy use too. Products packed in steel require no refrigeration during transport and storage. This makes them more energyefficient than competing products such as frozen food, which uses up to 70% more energy in the supply chain.

Versatile performance

From the production to transport and storage, steel for packaging offers greater protection, value and performance throughout the supply chain. The efficiency of steel begins on the filling line where the natural strength and magnetic properties of steel mean that up to 500 food cans can be processed per minute with virtually no product loss.

During transport and storage, multi-layer stacking formats deliver better space use. Virtually unbreakable, the resistance of steel packaging against crushing, perforation and denting is much higher than alternative packaging solutions, which means no outer packaging is required for added protection.

At the end of the supply chain, customers also benefit from having products made available, in all seasons, in a wide range of dispensing options and a multitude of volumes. Meanwhile, steel’s smooth surface makes it easy to use techniques such as moulding, embossing and printing for better brand differentiation and greater shelf impact. Such shaping makes handling the containers easier for young or elderly consumers.