Packaging steel recycling in Europe

The Packaging Directive for steel and aluminium packaging has a joint recycling target of 50%, which must be reached by 12 EU Member States in 2008 and by Portugal, Ireland and Greece in 2011.

Since 2002, steel has become the most recycled packaging material in the EU. The European leadership states that, given a recycling rate of 61% in 2003, this amounts to just over 2.1 million tonnes.

Corus is an active member of the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL). APEAL expects that with annual growth of 3.4%, recycling of steel packaging in the EU-15 should near 70% by the end of 2008. Progressive adoption into national law of the EU regulation banning landfilling of unprocessed waste and the 2008 EU recycling targets will support this trend.

 Print this document