‘Historic high’ for European steel packaging sector

Europe – The Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL) has reported an average Europe-wide recycling rate of 75% for 2013. The figure is up from 74% in 2012 and was ‘the best year for steel packaging recycling across the continent,’ the association said.

The data comprises results from four multinational producers of steel packaging, reviewed by consultancy Eunomia. The association claimed the ‘historic high’ came at a time when the recycling of other materials appeared to ‘stagnate’. APEAL said recycling rates had risen more than threefold during more than 20 years of ‘continuous improvement’ by the steel for packaging sector. The industry was now working ‘as hard as ever’ to reach a voluntary target of an 80% recycling rate by 2020, it added.

‘The scrapping of the Circular Economy Package earlier this year by the EU Commission was clearly disappointing, but there are promising signs that a replacement will be announced soon that will provide ambitious recycling targets necessary for pushing Europe towards a circular economy,’ commented Alexander Mohr, secretary general of APEAL. He said he was confident that such measures would pave the way for future progress.

Meanwhile, APEAL has pledged to concentrate its effort on countries that have not yet realised their full potential for steel recycling.