Recycling of steel packaging in Europe has reached another all-time high of 77.5 percent, according to figures issued by APEAL, the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging.
This record rate, which represents data from 2015, confirms steel as Europe’s most recycled packaging material for the eleventh consecutive year and sees the recycling rate of steel packaging increase by 1.5 percentage points since 2014.
The result is that over 2.7 million tons of steel have been effectively recycled and will be available for the manufacture of new steel products.
Alexis Van Maercke, secretary general of APEAL, said, “This is another major achievement and sees the recycling rate of steel for packaging pull still further away from that of other packaging materials.
“APEAL has long advocated ambitious yet achievable recycling rates for all materials in the circular economy package, on the understanding that we continue to measure the ‘real recycling’ rate. We are closer than ever before to achieving a truly circular economy which reduces waste, saves resources and closes the material loop.”
Published in the June 2017 Edition of American Recycler News