A study commissioned by APEAL into the environmental footprint of tinplate production has shown that the steel for packaging industry in Europe has “lowered its global warming potential by 9%” over the two years from 2006 to 2008.
The Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging study shows that in addition to lowering CO2 ‘equivalent’ emissions by 9%, the environmental footprint of tinplate production has been reduced in other impact categories too, such as acidification (-6%), eutrophication (-11%) and primary energy demand (-3%) – continuing the steel for packaging industry’s trend towards more sustainable production.
“Production is only one phase in the life cycle of a tinplate product,” says Philip Buisseret, MD of APEAL. “The steel industry focuses on the entire loop: efficient tinplate production and ‘end of product life cycle’ to improve the sustainability credentials of steel for packaging even further.
“The higher the recycled rate of steel packaging, the greater the savings on CO2 emissions, water, energy and raw materials.”
Today, APEAL says, producing 1kg of tinplate (equal to 46 food cans of 425ml) emits 2.33 kg of CO2: “The carbon emissions equivalent to a family car driving a distance of 16 km”.
In Europe, where an overall average of 71% of tinplate was recycled in 2010, CO2 emissions are currently reduced by 42%, the organisation reports. Given a theoretical recycling rate of 100%, CO2 emissions would decrease by more than 60%. The current recycling rate for tinplate in Germany is 93.8%, while almost all tinplate produced in Belgium is recovered, with a recycling rate of 98%.
The APEAL study covered 95% of all European tinplate production, taking figures from the four major producers ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel, ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein and US Steel-Kosice, in a ‘cradle to gate’ analysis. The data were based on 2008 production values, and the potential effect of recycling was calculated assuming the European average recycling rate.