European Steel Association Touts Success of Recycling Steel Packaging

The latest figures from the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging show that 70 percent of steel packaging – roughly 2.5 million metric tons -- was recycled in Europe in 2008. According to the most recent data, the recycling rate tops that of plastic, a recycling rate of 29 percent; beverage cartons, 33 percent; and glass, 62 percent.

“Once again steel is setting the standard for recycling across Europe and demonstrating that by recycling we can make an important contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.” said Guillaume de Formanoir, president of APEAL.
The APEAL also reported that last year’s recycling rate was an increase of 1.4 percent from the prior year.

Belgium reported the highest recycling rate at 93 percent, followed by Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, which reportedly recycled 87 percent of the steel cans in their countries.