STEEL for Packaging Europe (SfPE) has confirmed that steel packaging has achieved a new record EU recycling rate.
The latest figures, calculated using the EU’s harmonised methodology which is said to accurately reflect the amount of packaging recycled at the entrance of recycling operations, show that 84% of steel packaging placed on the market was recycled in 2024.
This new record marks a milestone in the sector’s efforts to close the material loop.
Steve Claus, secretary general of Steel for Packaging Europe, said, “Circularity is now critical to ensure EU resource efficiency and competitiveness. This record recycling rate of 84% is an achievement which the sector can take great pride in. But it is also a milestone which highlights the significance of steel scrap as a strategic resource. Indeed, recycled steel packaging is vital for the sustainable production of new steel products and makes a significant contribution to conserving valuable resources, simultaneously helping to ensure EU steel for packaging remains competitive on global export markets.”
It is a 2-percentage point increase compared to 2023 and confirms that steel for packaging continues to be the most widely recycled sales packaging material in Europe.
