2007 a Strong Year for Steel Can Recycling

In 2007, a strong year for secondary commodities demand, the world recycled its steel cans and packaging at a record-setting pace.

According to the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), Brussels, 7.2 million metric tons of steel cans were recycled in the 37 countries reporting figures in 2007.

The global recycling rate for steel cans in those countries was 68 percent in 2007, a slight increase from 67 percent in 2006. “This is the highest level ever and is the third consecutive year that the steel can recycling rate has increased,” says Worldsteel in a news release.

Among countries covered by the 2007 statistics, Belgium and Germany topped the roster with the highest recycling rates of 93 percent and 91 percent respectively. Japan reported a recycling rate of 85 percent.

The 27 nations of the European Union recycled 2.5 million metric tons of steel cans in 2007, with a combined recycling rate of 69 percent. In the United States, 1.6 million metric tons of steel cans were recycled in 2007. This increased the U.S. recycling rate to 65 percent, compared to 63 percent the previous year.

“Our data shows that steel recycling is well established in almost all regions of the world,” says Julie Renner, chair of Worldsteel’s Committee on Packaging. “Not only is the recycling rate increasing in developed countries such as the United States and Canada but it is also going up in emerging markets such as Brazil and Turkey.”

Brazil’s recycling rate increased from 47 percent to 49 percent in 2007, while Turkey’s edged up from 33 percent to 35 percent.

2007 Steel Can Recycling Data