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Branded bottles
Demand for aluminium bottles is increasing in the US. CanTech International editorial board member James Peterson, who works for Ball Corporation, discusses the reasons why
The Apeal of steel
Evelyne Frauman, quality and environment manager, Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL).
For 25 years now, Apeal has demonstrated the advantages of steel for packaging as a reliable and sustainable packaging material. With a young and dynamic team, Apeal will further develop its new and ambitious strategy. This strategy aims to establish that steel packaging is not only a highly performing packaging material, but has also to be considered as a permanent resource, because of its unique recyclability features.
Thanks to these overall performances and the growing demand of steel industry for recycled steel scrap for reuse in all kinds of applications, Apeal will further facilitate the optimal regulatory conditions for the manufacturing, marketing and recycling of steel for packaging.
Apeal also wants to develop a knowledge centre for steel for packaging in Europe, monitoring legislation, providing technical knowhow, statistics and messaging. In other words, Apeal will become the reference in Europe for every question relating to steel for packaging.
I am a bioengineer specialised in environmental management. I have previously worked mainly in the humanitarian and development area with water and waste management and environmental project management with major organisations, including which the European Commission.
In Apeal, I am in charge of developing a knowledge centre for the technical matters of steel for packaging: environment, sustainability, life cycle inventory and analysis, recycling, food contacts/food safety, and all other technical questions that may arise. The idea is that Apeal becomes the European knowledge centre for steel for packaging, for our members as well as for our customers and consumers.
Working with can makers
Apeal represents and promotes steel for packaging. We work together with other packaging material representatives when common interests are involved. According to the environmental concerns of its members, Apeal wants to focus on the infinite recyclability of steel packaging, and demonstrate that steel is a permanent resource, a story that steel shares with the other major metal packaging material, aluminium. In this view, Apeal and the European Aluminium Association are collaborating under a new umbrella called Metal Packaging Europe (MPE). Its formation was agreed in Brussels at the end of May 2010 by executives from European Metal Packaging (Empac), Beverage Can Makers Europe, Apeal (the packaging steel manufacturers) and the European Aluminium Association.
On a day-to-day basis, Apeal collaborates with Empac and MPE. Indeed, can makers and producers of steel for packaging have of course a common interest in the development of the metal packaging market for beverages. Apeal will support certain initiatives made by the can making associations.
Steel Day
Apeal will organise a Steel Day on the Metal Plaza during the Interpack Fair in Düsseldorf. We will demonstrate in front of a public of professionals, the efficiency of steel for packaging in terms of sustainability and reliability.
We shall also be present at the Empac General Assembly in Edinburgh on June 9 where we will organise an interactive workshop for the can makers, our customers. With this workshop we want to familiarise them with the overall benefits of steel for packaging and also create participation and commitment from the can makers. This will allow them to better convince their clients to choose steel for packaging.
Steel is 100 per cent recyclable. Furthermore, the fact that steel is magnetic makes it the easiest and most economical material to sort and recover. Steel loses none of its strength or inherent qualities, which makes it infinitely recyclable. Well-established routes for collection and recovery of steel cans have ensured recycling excellence. In 2008, over 70 per cent of steel packaging in Europe has been recycled, and CO² emissions per tonne of steel produced are now 50 per cent lower than they were 40 years ago.
Steel making processes accept all kinds of used steel packaging, including drinks, food and paint cans, as well as aerosols – all of which can be recycled indefinitely into an unlimited range of new steel products without any loss of quality.
Knowledge centre
The metal packaging industry is aware of its importance to our planet as a resource using sector. We have always taken this responsibility seriously. Steel packaging has an excellent story to tell as the environmental credentials of the material are extraordinary and unique, meeting many of the essential criteria for packaging in the sustainability-conscious 21st century. I’m looking forward to further developing Apeal as the steel for packaging knowledge centre in Europe. I will also be involved in the calculation of the yearly recycling rates for steel for packaging for the European countries.
Apeal’s slogan summarises very well the message we want to spread about steel packaging: “protecting today, preserving tomorrow”.
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