Steel packaging: growth in collection and recycling

The Ricrea consortium handles 61% of the national total.

Over the past two decades, steel packaging sent for recycling by RICREA, the National Consortium for the Recovery and Recycling of Steel Packaging, part of the CONAI System, has tripled.

Over the past two decades, steel packaging sent for recycling by RICREA, the National Consortium for the Recovery and Recycling of Steel Packaging, part of the CONAI System, has tripled.

In fact, from more than 70 thousand tons in 2000 to 225 thousand tons in 2021, including the recycling activity of steel packaging from separate and undifferentiated collection from public surface and the regeneration of drums and tanks from private surface.

In this context, at the national level, the total saving was 8 million tons of primary material, which is equivalent to the weight of 800 Eiffel Towers, with an economic value of 1 billion euros of recovered material.

The engagement on territory

RICREA encourages, promotes and facilitates the collection and recycling of used steel packaging, making a fundamental contribution to the growth of the circular path of cans, boxes, tins, drums, buckets, cans, caps and closures. Consider that in 2000, only 27 percent of steel packaging came from public surface collection, while in 2021, thanks to an increase in the number of Conventions with municipalities, the share has risen to 49 percent.

In addition, over the past two decades, RICREA has sent more than 4.5 million tons of steel packaging for recycling, 61% of the total. In 2021 alone, the quantities increased 2.5 times more than in 2000.

Thanks to RICREA’s strategic contribution and the commitment of citizens and institutions, therefore, Italy represents European excellence in the separate collection of steel packaging: in 2021 the per capita share averaged 4.4 kg. The collection allowed 390,000 tons of steel packaging to be sent for recycling, enough to make, for example, about 3,900 km of railway tracks.

In the past year, the recycling rate on consumer input was close to 80 percent, still well above the European target for 2025, set at 70%. Excellent performance then, despite the fact that the last two years have seen a slight decline due to the increase in the volumes of steel packaging released for consumption and the exit of some Affiliates and Operators from the RICREA system, who have found better economic conditions present on the free market.