Recycles Forever
In order to move towards a true resource efficient “Recycling Society”, it is key that we make a clear distinction between down-cycling, which leads to the gradual degradation of the material, and high-quality recycling, which keeps the material in the loop without losing its intrinsic material characteristics.
When metal products reach the end of their useful life, the materials are simply collected and recycled, again and again, with no loss of their inherent properties. This is known as high-quality recycling. The metal packaging industry and its recycling stakeholders are committed to a high-quality -recycling society.
Metals recyclates can be used for many applications and up to 75% of all metal ever produced is still available for use.
Just as re-use at product level, multiple recycling saves primary raw materials, energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions at material level. Recycling one tonne of metal scrap uses 70-95% less energy than making one tonne of metal from virgin raw material. As such, it makes a key contribution to the EU Energy & Climate Change agenda.
Small losses do occur in any recycling process, however the inherent properties of metals do not change.
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75% of all aluminium and steel ever produced is still in use
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High recycling rates for steel packaging
The Recycles Forever Mark.
Launched in 2014 by the members of Metal Packaging Europe – the trusted authority on metal packaging in Europe – the Metal Recycles ForeverTM mark is paramount to informing and helping consumers better understand the key role they have to play in keeping metal in the material loop by recycling their empty packaging.
The Metal Recycles ForeverTM mark is designed to work across any pack format, product application and brand, to help consumers see how they can play a positive and active role in recycling. It is meant to work on-pack and off-pack to help the industry and brands achieve greater levels of recycling and generate less waste.