Robust, safe and circular by design: the food can is one of the most reliable packaging solutions in the world. Its sturdy tinplate shell effectively protects food from light, oxygen and moisture and ensures a particularly long shelf life. Vitamins and minerals are particularly well preserved, as is the taste. But its qualities do not end with protection: the food can also plays a leading role in the circular economy. It is especially recyclable and therefore makes a significant contribution to conserving natural resources. These properties are coming even more to the fore in the context of the new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
The PPWR entered into force on February 11, 2025, and its requirements will be binding in all EU member states from August 12, 2026. The aim of the regulation is to reduce the environmental impact of packaging, reduce packaging waste and strengthen the circular economy across Europe. The focus is on requirements for the recyclability of packaging.
New recycling rating system: tinplate packaging scores highly in terms of recyclability
The new Regulation will introduce a three-stage assessment system from 2030. Grade A packaging must be at least 95 percent recyclable; grade B requires a recyclability of 80 percent and grade C at least 70 percent. From 2038, packaging that falls below the 80 percent threshold may no longer be placed on the market. The recyclability of food cans is already over 95 percent today, as they consist almost exclusively of tinplate and only a small proportion of the weight is due to the lacquer or the paper sleeve.
In addition to these requirements for technical recyclability, the PPWR defines clear quotas for actual recycling: from December 31, 2025, 65 percent of all packaging in the EU must be recycled. Specific rates apply to the respective packaging materials – 50 percent for plastic and aluminium, 70 percent for tinplate and glass, and 75 percent for paper and cardboard. From 2030, these targets will increase by a further five to ten percentage points. “The good news is that tinplate already more than meets the recycling rate targets. In the EU, 82 percent of all tinplate packaging is already recycled. The PPWR targets from 2030 are therefore already being exceeded,” says Carmen Tschage, Head of Communications and Market Development at thyssenkrupp Rasselstein.
New EU Regulation strengthens circularity and consumer awareness
There is still too much packaging waste in Europe that is poorly recycled or not recycled at all. For Carmen Tschage, the PPWR is therefore an important signal for the entire packaging industry: “The new Packaging Regulation creates uniform standards across the EU. It raises awareness of resource conservation and provides clear guidance for manufacturers and consumers. Packaging such as the tinplate food can shows that solutions for a recyclable packaging industry are already available today.” She adds: “Some other packaging does not yet meet the new recyclability requirements – especially packaging made from multi-layer composite materials, which usually consists of several layers such as paper, aluminium or various plastics that are difficult to separate.”
Tinplate is especially well-suited to multi-recycling
Recycling is also a key factor for consumers, as sustainability is a central criterion when making purchasing decisions. This is shown by a representative survey that thyssenkrupp Rasselstein conducted in Germany in 2020 with the YouGov opinion research institute: 41 percent of respondents said that the sustainability of packaging significantly influences their consumer behaviour.
A sustainable recycling process requires that the material can be recycled multiple times without any loss in quality. This is precisely where tinplate excels, thanks to its multi recycling capability. On the one hand, its magnetic properties make it especially easy to separate from other materials, which renders the sorting of packaging highly efficient. On the other hand, this means that even already recycled packaging steel can be repeatedly reused as raw material. “Tinplate is a permanent material in a closed material cycle that is almost 100 percent recyclable. And it can be recycled over and over again without downcycling – that is, without any reduction in quality,” emphasizes Tschage. “In contrast, many other packaging materials lose quality with each recycling cycle and can therefore only be recycled a limited number of times. As a result, they are inevitably lost over time, whereas around 84 percent of all steel ever produced is still in use today thanks to its recyclability and durability.”
However, consumers play an important role in the recycling process: tinplate packaging can only be efficiently sorted and recycled if it is properly disposed of in the recycling bin. Once processed, the very clean tinplate scrap is delivered to the steel mill, where it can be melted together with other steel scrap without any loss of quality and processed with pig iron from the blast furnace into crude steel. After product-specific processing steps, this becomes a new high-quality steel product, from automotive sheet metal and steel beams to new packaging. Every steel mill can therefore be considered a recycling plant. The material cycle is closed.
This process conserves resources and makes the food can a robust and sustainable packaging alternative. Recycling one ton of steel and iron scrap saves 1.6 tons of iron ore, 0.65 tons of coal and 0.3 tons of limestone. In addition, using scrap in steel production consumes up to 70 percent less energy compared to primary production
Packaging steel from Rasselstein opens opportunities for CO₂ reduction through innovation
With bluemint® Steel, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein produces packaging steel with the same properties as conventionally manufactured tinplate but generates up to 69 percent fewer CO₂ emissions during production. Additional CO₂ savings can be achieved through innovative products such as rasselstein® D&I Solid and rasselstein® Solidflex and the related options for reducing material thickness.
Campaigns raise awareness of the benefits of tinplate cans
An eye-catching campaign by the Metal Packaging Europe (MPE) association in Italy is currently demonstrating how future-proof tinplate packaging is. Under the key question “Why steel?”, the campaign showcases tuna cans, tomato cans and pails in high-quality visuals. At the same time, it provides clear answers to the question “why”: tinplate actively helps reduce food waste because foods such as tomatoes are canned immediately after harvesting. The can also reliably protects its contents and scores with an especially long shelf life
With this campaign, packaging steel confidently asserts its position as the leading recyclable packaging material: “The positive properties of tinplate packaging are continuously being improved, and this can and must be communicated,” emphasizes Carmen Tschage. Campaigns like this show: the food can is aligned with the spirit of the times. It is not only part of a smoothly functioning recycling loop but also combines cross-generational reliability with modern expectations for design, convenience and sustainability. With clear messaging, MPE’s initiative sends a strong signal for the future of the can as a sustainable packaging solution that rightly ends up in consumers’ shopping carts.
thyssenkrupp Rasselstein is also raising awareness among consumers about packaging. For over four years, the company has successfully operated a platform directly targeting end consumers: weissblech-kommt-weiter.de. There, consumers can find everything they need to know about food cans. “Although interest in the production and recycling of packaging has risen significantly among end consumers, many are still unaware of the essential differences between various materials. That’s exactly where we come in. We provide information, facts, figures and engaging content to show just how sustainable food cans really are. We don’t leave consumers alone with their unanswered questions,” says Carmen Tschage.