Assessing the ecological footprint of any type of packaging is a complex task. In an article published in Business Reporter, Jenny Wassenaar, Trivium’s director of sustainability, explains why metals such as aluminum and steel can be an excellent alternative to plastic packaging.
However, there are a number of aspects to be taken into account regarding the recyclability of a packaging material; these are the characteristics of the material, its handles and the carrots dispensed by the legislative frameworks. Sometimes a wasteful design or production process can offset some of the benefits of effective recycling.
The multinational Trivium, however, has found that taking into account all metrics across the packaging lifecycle, aluminum and steel are highly competitive with users of plastic and other materials.
What makes these two metals stand out is that their recycling rate today is already over 60 percent worldwide, while the same figure for plastic is still only 9 percent. While cosmetics or wine packaged in metal containers may still seem a bit extravagant, environmentally conscious customers are ready to embrace a novel design aesthetic to lessen their packaging footprint.
TRIVIUM PACKAGING OPTS FOR ALUMINUM BOTTLES AS THE MOST SUSTAINABLE OPTION FOR OLIVE OIL PACKAGING
NEW LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF METAL PACKAGING SHOWS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
91.4% of tinplate packaging for private consumption is recycled
APEAL PUBLISHES NEW REPORT ON BEST PRACTICES FOR STEEL PACKAGING RECYCLING
Aluminum beverage cans remain the most sustainable beverage package in the US.
MEMBERS OF THE U.S. CAN MANUFACTURERS INSTITUTE PLEDGE TO ACHIEVE 70% RECYCLING RATE BY 2030
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT MANUFACTURER GNARLY SPORTS NUTRITION MOVES TO CANNED PACKAGING
Multirecycling a strong argument for tinplate packaging
METAL PACKAGING DOES FORM PART OF GREEN PACKAGING
Towards new recycling models: adopting a reusable packaging model regardless of the material?
