Steel for Packaging Europe has announced a landmark achievement in the EU’s transition toward a circular economy: the highest-ever recycling rate for steel packaging. In 2023, an impressive 82% of all steel packaging placed on the European market was effectively recycled—meaning it entered real recycling operations rather than merely being collected. This figure was independently verified using the EU’s harmonized methodology and marks a two-percentage point increase over the previous year.

This milestone reaffirms steel’s status as Europe’s most recycled packaging material, meeting and exceeding the EU’s most demanding recyclability criteria outlined in the forthcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The robust recycling performance further cements steel's role as a core enabler of sustainable materials management and carbon reduction strategies.

Steve Claus, Secretary General of Steel for Packaging Europe, emphasized the broader implications of this progress: “Steel for packaging is not just a recyclable material—it is a true circular economy champion. Every recycled steel item re-enters the production cycle without any loss of quality, becoming part of infrastructure, transport, or even new packaging. This is why steel packaging aligns so seamlessly with the EU’s vision for a sustainable future.”

“This record is more than a statistic—it reflects an operational reality. The steel packaging industry is not only committed to recycling, but to ‘real recycling’, where material is actually recovered and reused, not just collected,” Claus added.

The high recyclability of steel owes much to its inherent material properties: magnetic separation simplifies sorting, and its infinite recyclability maintains material integrity across countless life cycles. Moreover, recycled steel scrap plays a vital role in lowering emissions and energy use in steel production, making it indispensable for green manufacturing in Europe.

However, Claus also noted that challenges remain. He called on EU Member States to promote separate collection systems that prioritize material purity and to push for even higher-quality recycling streams. Ensuring a competitive position for European steel packaging on global markets was also cited as a strategic imperative.

The context of this announcement is especially significant as the EU prepares to roll out the new Circular Economy Act in 2026, which will consolidate policies around resource efficiency and critical raw materials. Steel’s performance provides a concrete example of how local, practical recycling systems can deliver major environmental benefits while supporting industrial competitiveness.

Steel for Packaging Europe is now urging policymakers and stakeholders to maintain high levels of ambition as the continent advances toward a low-carbon, resource-efficient future. With tangible success stories like this, steel packaging is not only meeting its sustainability targets—it is helping to shape them.