« UN to Fund Pilot REDD Programs | Home | An Energy Loan to Panama with Environmental Components / Un préstamo al sector energético panameño con componentes ambientales »
Brazil Raises Steel Can Recycling to 49%
By Keith R | March 19, 2009
Topics: Packaging, Waste & Recycling | 4 Comments »
From the World Steel Association:
Global steel can recycling rate reaches highest recorded level
The World Steel Association (worldsteel) announced today that 7.2 million metric tons (mmt) of steel cans were recycled across the 37 countries reporting in 2007. This avoided approximately 13 mmt of CO2 emissions.
The global recycling rate for steel cans was 68% in 2007, a slight increase from 67% in 2006. This is the highest level ever and is the third consecutive year that the steel can recycling rate has increased.
Amongst countries covered by the 2007 statistics, Belgium and Germany topped the league with the highest recycling rates of 93% and 91%. Of the individual countries that reported directly to worldsteel, Japan had the highest recycling rate at 85%. Europe, North America and South Africa have been particularly consistent in gathering good data and increasing recycling rates year-after-year. South Africa recorded a recycling rate of 70% in 2007, a 2% increase compared to 2006. Europe recycled 2.5 mmt of steel cans in 2007, a recycling rate of 69%. In the US 1.6 mmt of steel cans were recovered for recycling in 2007, an increase to 65% compared to 63% the previous year.
Julie Renner, Chairwoman of worldsteel’s Committee on Packaging said, “Our data shows that steel recycling is well established in almost all regions of the world. Not only is the recycling rate increasing in developed countries such as the US and Canada but it is also going up in emerging markets such as Brazil and Turkey. This is good for the environment because steel is 100% recyclable and it shows that consumers are contributing to the reduction of energy use and CO2 emissions by choosing and recycling steel packaging”.
2007 steel can recycling data
Country/Region |
Recycled (‘000 tonnes) |
Recycling rate 2007 (%) |
Recycling rate 2006 (%) |
Brazil |
284 |
49 |
47 |
Canada |
109 |
66 |
62 |
China |
1,597 |
75 |
75 |
Europe * |
2,560 |
69 |
66 |
Japan |
707 |
85 |
88 |
South Africa |
155 |
70 |
68 |
South Korea |
101 |
69 |
73 |
Turkey |
101 |
35 |
33 |
USA |
1,592 |
65 |
63 |
Total |
7,206 |
68 |
67 |
* Europe here includes EU 27, Norway and Switzerland.
Tags: acero, aço, Alemania, Bélgica, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, embalagem, envase, Europe, Germany, Japan, Japão, lata de aço, packaging, reciclagem, recycling, South Africa, steel cans, Turkey, World Steel Association
April 18th, 2009 at 21:15
What is the recycling percentege today of brazil?
April 18th, 2009 at 21:20
why does it say 2007 on the chart,but then it says 2009 on the comments?
April 20th, 2009 at 21:43
Hi “Julie.” I presume you’re asking about the recycling rate for steel cans today in Brazil. Unfortunately the 2008 rate is not yet released. For some reason the steel industry lags substantially behind their aluminum industry competitors in reporting recycling statistics.
Hi “Nick.” The reason is that Worldsteel is only now publishing the rates for 2007.
BTW, how is it that two commenters with different names and (fake) email addresses have the same IP address?
Regards,
Keith R
June 8th, 2010 at 9:17
It’s good to see so many countries increasing their recycling. We need every country to play their part if we want a large impact. I’ve been to many countries (Asia in particular) where recycling is not even considered and there is so much waste. The problem is these countries industies are growing so waste is increasing. So in some ways some coutries recycling is only making up for the waste in other parts of the world. These figures are still a positive sign though.