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  • Steel

    The material of choice for packaging

Steel packaging - Green Solutions for Central Europe

8 October 2015, Warsaw (Poland)

“Steel Packaging - Green Solutions for Central Europe 2015" summit was hosted by APEAL, the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging, in partnership with Rekopol Recovery Organisation SA.

ArcelorMittal, world leading producer of steel for packaging and member of APEAL, is a major advocate of the sustainability of steel and guided the participants in the afternoon tour of its Warsaw facility to show effective scrap recycling.

Steel packaging’s high recycling rates offer an ecological and economical solution for the transition to a Circular economy in Central Europe, the rise in packaged products consumption calls for a review of collection and recycling rates. This summit is specifically oriented to the needs of Central Europe to increase steel packaging recycling performance in the V4 regrouping Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Czech Republic.

The goal of these summits, the 1st was held in 2011 in Slovakia, is to improve the management of waste. 75% of steel packaging is recycled in Europe in 2013 compared to 56% in V4 countries.

Steel complies with the demands of a circular economy, it benefits from unique inherent magnetic properties thus can be easily and economically extracted from any waste stream.

The 50 attendees represented can manufacturers, brands and local recovery organizations. 

 


 

Karl Buttiens, General Manager for Environment and Global CO2 at ArcelorMittal, explained how Steel is a Fabric of Life, with its visible and invisible applications it has its place everywhere strength is needed. Recycled at a 92% rate, steel is the first material in Circular Economy.

Steel for packaging made by ArcelorMittal is innovative, 40% lighter in 30 years and additional 25% material savings are feasible for the classic food can. In the future we will need materials in high quantities and steel is a product with the right DNA: highly recycled and transformable to better performance. Green policies shall aim to reward sustainable material properties, teach respect for materials, define recycling better in order to avoid landfill.

 


 

Stéphane Tondo, General Manager of ArcelorMittal, explained how steel is permanent, never consumed, but continuously transformed through recycling processes that do not degrade its inherent properties. As such it is the green solution for Central Europe. 

Steel is the sustainable solution for sourcing; its closed material loop saves resources as each piece of recycled steel packaging saves over twice its weight in raw materials. Moreover, using recycled steel saves 70% energy and each item of recycled steel packaging saves over one and a half times its weight in CO2.