ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products
Steel for packaging can address modern concerns such as recycling and humanity’s effect on the environment. In May this year, the European Commission adopted its Circular Economy Package (CEP)
which aims to help Europe transition to an economic model where resources are used in a more sustainable way.
The CEP endorses the concept of ‘multiple recycling’ for packaging made from permanent materials such as steel. For example, 79.5%
of all steel packaging is recycled at the end of its life. It’s very easy and cost-effective to extract from the waste stream compared to other materials. Using a simple magnet, the steel is collected and within six weeks it is part of a new steel product. And there are no limitations on the applications it can be used to create.
The CEP and the EU’s upcoming strategy on plastics is driving brands to find sustainable packaging solutions using permanent materials such as steel. Materials like steel are not just 100% recyclable – they are effectively recycled. The infrastructure is already in place to collect, sort, and recycle steel and a vibrant market for this secondary raw material exists.
Few other packaging materials can keep canned food safe and preserve nutrients for as long as steel. And food packed in steel cans stays fresh for longer – whatever the storage conditions.
Cans are simple and fast to manufacture, providing great flexibility for fillers and enabling them to pack most canned foods within three hours of harvest. That helps to reduce food waste as produce doesn’t have time to spoil before it is packed.
Steel might have been around for 200 years, but at ArcelorMittal we are constantly innovating and co-engineering with our customers to ensure that it remains the packaging material of the future.
Find out why at: