#18.03.2024 THE PACKAGING MATERIAL OF CHOICE FOR A 21ST CENTURY CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Inherently circular, steel provides a safe, convenient, and sustainable packaging solution and thanks to a continuous process of innovation throughout the value chain, steel packaging is now lighter, stronger, and more sustainable than ever before.
Circular by nature, steel packaging can be recycled over and over again without any loss of quality. This potential for multiple recycling is a key factor in the role of packaging as we transition to a more circular economy.
In our latest film, produced in partnership with the internationally respected packaging expert, Paul Jenkins, we examine the challenges posed by multi-material packaging formats such as laminated cartons, which are difficult and costly to recycle and unlike steel packaging, are not recycled at scale.
The reality is that packaging plays a vital role in reducing food waste, but the value of this role can be compromised by the impact of poor recyclability and ineffective recycling. Many recycling facilities reject laminated cartons which have been collected, because the recycling process is not economically viable. The result is that the majority of laminated cartons end up in landfill and the global recycling rate of cartons is just 27% (2020 figures)[1].
In contrast, over 200 steel manufacturing plants in Europe are also recycling plants as they all use steel scrap as input material. And with 90% of the European population living within 200 km of a steel recycling plant, recycling is mostly local. Currently, of all steel packaging put on the market in Europe, 78.5% is recycled into new steel products[2] and unlike many other packaging materials, this figure – based on the new EU harmonised calculation methodology which focuses on the amount of material actually recycled at the entrance of recycling operations – reflects the real recycling of steel packaging, not merely what is collected.
This achievement means that the EU steel recycling rate target of 70% by 2025 has already been reached and affirms that steel remains the most widely recycled sales packaging material in Europe, a testament to its unique properties and the collaborative efforts of stakeholders across the value chain to maintain a 100% closed material loop.
Today, steel remains the packaging material of choice for a 21st century circular economy, helping brands and consumers to enjoy safe, healthy and nutritious food, reduce food waste, and make a positive choice for the environment.
[1] Tetra Pak Sustainability Report 2021
[2] 2021 figures