Packaging Industry

Steel in the Packaging Industry

Steel containers used for food preservation are highly effective at retaining vitamins and nutrients. Unlike common misconceptions, canned fruits and vegetables containno chemical preservatives—instead, they are preserved throughhigh-pressure processingthat eliminates bacteria. Because steel packaging is anambient storage medium, it requires no refrigeration throughout the supply chain, reducing energy use, lowering costs, and simplifying logistics.

Steel packaging provides acomplete barrieragainst light, air, and water, making it one of the most tamper-resistant options available. By extending shelf life, it helps minimize food waste. Itshigh thermal conductivityalso offers a practical advantage: canned beverages cool more quickly than those stored in plastic or glass. Today, steel is used to package more than1,500 products,including food, drinks, household items, cosmetics, and even paints.

Magnetic Properties & Recycling

As a ferrous metal, steel is naturally magnetic—a unique benefit for packaging applications. Empty cans can be transported efficiently along magnetic conveying systems during filling, improving precision and reducing waste or spillage.

In recycling facilities, steel cans are easily separated from other materials using equipment such as cross-belt magnets or drum magnets. Moreover, steel is a permanent material, meaning it can be recycled endlessly without losing quality. Recycling just one steel can saves enough energy to wash a load of laundry, power a TV for an hour, or run a 10W LED bulb for a full day.

Environmental Benefits & Lightweight Design

While all packaging materials generate CO₂ during production, steel cans stand out as themost sustainable optionthanks to their infinite recyclability. In some regions, steel packaging recycling rates exceed90%, making it the most recycled packaging material in Europe. Recycled cans are melted in electric arc or basic oxygen furnaces to produce new steel, creating aclosed-loop systemthat significantly cuts emissions.

Ongoing innovation has also reduced the weight of steel cans by about33% over the last two decades. Lighter cans mean less raw material use, lower transport emissions, and reduced energy consumption during manufacturing. Most steel packaging is made fromtinplate, a thin steel sheet coated with a tin layer applied via electroplating, which provides the necessary protection and performance.