APEAL, the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging, has announced that independently verified figures show that steel packaging has already met its new EU recycling rate target for 2025, four years ahead of schedule.
Steve Claus, secretary general of APEAL, highlighted the significance of these findings, stating, “The figures affirm 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. Unlike many other packaging materials, our newly published figures are based on the actual recycling of steel packaging, not merely its collection.”
This follows the introduction of a harmonised method for calculating packaging recycling rates within the EU, which APEAL welcomed as a step towards creating a level playing field for all packaging materials. Previously, EU member states utilised varying methods to determine their recycling rates for different materials, which APEAL claimed led to inflated rates and masked recycling challenges associated with multi-material packaging formats.
The introduction of a new methodology, focusing on the amount of material recycled at the entrance of recycling operations, is said to signal a ‘major shift’ towards accuracy and transparency.
APEAL added that it is proud its newly published figures correspond to the amount of packaging that is really recycled and not just collected. These stats reveal 78.5% of steel packaging was ‘really recycled’ in 2021, equivalent to nearly eight out of every ten steel packaging items on the market. This means the EU steel recycling rate target of 70% by 2025 has already been reached.
Steve Claus added, “Steel’s magnetic properties make it easily recoverable from any waste stream, and its permanent quality ensures it can be recycled repeatedly without any loss in material quality. These attributes have allowed steel to remain the most widely recycled primary packaging material in Europe for another year running and demonstrate why steel is so well aligned with the EU’s vision for a circular economy.”
