European steel packaging recycling rate hits 82 per cent

Steel remains the most widely recycled packaging material, according to data published by Steel Packaging Europe.

Independently verified figures show that across the continent 82 per cent of steel packaging was recycled in 2023 - a two per cent increase from 2022.

Figures published by the NGO, illustrate that despite the record level of recycling, there is tremendous variation in performance between European countries. This ranges from 100 per cent capture in Malta and 99.6 per cent in the Netherlands to an astonishing 0.2 per cent in Croatia.

Commenting on the data, Steve Claus, Secretary General of Steel for Packaging Europe, said: “The continued rise in steel packaging recycling rates, which corresponds to the amount of packaging that is really recycled at the entrance of recycling operations and not the volume of collected packaging which might contain impurities, reflects our industry’s commitment to closing the material loop.

“All recycled steel packaging will be used to make new steel products without loss of quality. It could be a train, a wind-turbine or even a new item of steel packaging.”

Claus stated that the importance of steel packaging to the circular economy “cannot be overstated”, particularly in the context of the forthcoming EU Circular Economy Act, expected to be implemented in 2026, which is set to unify circular economy policies.

The progress made by the steel packaging sector stands in contrast to the overall circular material use rate in Europe, which stood at just 11.8 per cent in 2023.