Steel Packaging
Packaging made from steel or tinplate, including food cans, paint tins, aerosols, and drum containers. Steel is widely recycled through magnetic separation and has established recycling infrastructure.
Steel packaging (also called tinplate or ferrous metal packaging) includes food cans, beverage cans, aerosol containers, paint tins, and industrial drums. Steel is easily separated from mixed waste using magnets, giving it efficient recycling pathways.
Common types:
- Food cans (baked beans, soup, vegetables)
- Beverage cans (some drinks use steel rather than aluminium)
- Aerosol containers
- Paint and chemical tins
- Industrial drums and pails
- Crown caps and closures
Steel packaging has high recycling rates in the UK due to magnetic separation at MRFs. Under pEPR, steel packaging benefits from favourable fee modulation. Producers must report steel packaging separately from aluminium in their RPD submissions. The PRN system for steel is managed through accredited reprocessors who verify tonnages recycled.
Related Terms
Packaging Material
The physical material from which packaging is made. Under EPR, packaging must be...
Aluminium Packaging
Packaging made from aluminium including drinks cans, foil trays, foil wraps, and...
Modulated Fees
Fee adjustments applied on top of base fees that reward recyclable packaging wit...
Recyclability
The practical ability of a packaging item to be collected, sorted, and reprocess...
Materials Recovery Facility
A plant where mixed recyclable materials from household and commercial collectio...
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