An Expert Guide: What Metal is Used in Packaging & The 2 Key Types Compared for 2025

Resumen

An examination of the materials integral to modern packaging reveals the predominant role of two specific metals: aluminum and steel. This document provides a comprehensive analysis of their selection, application, and life cycle within the packaging industry. It explores the fundamental properties, including density, malleability, strength, and corrosion resistance, that make these metals uniquely suited for containing and protecting a vast array of consumer and industrial goods. The manufacturing processes for both aluminum and steel containers, from beverage cans to food tins, are detailed to illuminate the technological underpinnings of their production. A significant portion of the analysis is dedicated to the environmental and economic dimensions of their use, with a particular focus on recycling infrastructures and the concept of a circular economy. The discussion extends to current innovations such as lightweighting, advanced protective liners, and the regulatory frameworks governing food-contact safety. The objective is to furnish a deep, structured understanding of the metals employed in packaging for a professional and academic audience.

Principales conclusiones

• Aluminum and steel are the two primary metals used for packaging applications.
• Aluminum’s light weight and formability make it ideal for beverage cans and foils.
• Steel offers superior strength and rigidity, perfect for preserving foods and aerosols.
• Understanding what metal is used in packaging helps inform sustainable consumer choices.
• Both metals are highly recyclable, forming the backbone of a circular packaging economy.
• Innovations in coatings are improving the safety and performance of metal containers.
• Properly handling all food containers, including learning food packaging cleaning, is vital for consumer safety.

Índice

• An Introduction to Metal in Modern Packaging
• The First Key Metal: Understanding Aluminum
• The Second Key Metal: Exploring Steel’s Role
• A Comparative Analysis: Aluminum vs. Steel in Packaging
• Innovations and the Future of Metal Packaging
• Regulatory Landscape and Consumer Safety in 2025
• Preguntas más frecuentes (FAQ)
• Conclusión
• Referencias

An Introduction to Metal in Modern Packaging

When we consider the objects that populate our daily lives, the humble can, tube, or foil wrapper often escapes deep contemplation. Yet, these items represent a triumph of materials science, engineering, and logistics. The choice of material for packaging is not arbitrary; it is a carefully calculated decision balancing protection, cost, consumer experience, and environmental impact. Within this complex equation, metal has held a place of prominence for over two centuries, evolving from heavy, hand-soldered canisters to the sleek, lightweight containers we know today. Its story is one of reliability and innovation, providing an unparalleled barrier against light, oxygen, and moisture, thereby preserving the freshness and safety of its contents.

The Enduring Legacy of Metal Containers

The history of metal packaging is intrinsically linked to the need to preserve food for long journeys and military campaigns. In the early 19th century, Nicolas Appert’s invention of preserving food in sealed glass jars was quickly adapted by Peter Durand, who patented the use of tin-plated iron cans in 1810. These early cans were cumbersome, often requiring a hammer and chisel to open, but they proved the concept: food could be kept safe and edible for extended periods. This breakthrough fundamentally changed food distribution, enabling exploration, urbanization, and long-distance trade on an unprecedented scale.

From these robust origins, the technology has branched and refined. The introduction of aluminum in the mid-20th century offered a lightweight alternative, revolutionizing the beverage industry. The development of two-piece cans (as opposed to the older three-piece design) and easy-open ends further enhanced convenience and material efficiency. Today, as we stand in 2025, metal packaging is a sophisticated and indispensable part of the global supply chain, protecting everything from perishable foods and sensitive pharmaceuticals to industrial chemicals and luxury goods. Its legacy is not just one of preservation but of enabling modern life as we know it.

Why Metal? A Look at its Fundamental Advantages

The persistence of metal in a world of ever-expanding material options begs the question: what makes it so suitable for packaging? The answer lies in a unique combination of physical and chemical properties.

First and foremost is its barrier performance. Metal is hermetically sealable, creating an absolute barrier to gases, water vapor, light, and microorganisms. This is why a canned soup can remain shelf-stable for years, retaining its nutritional value and flavor without the need for refrigeration or preservatives. No other packaging material, be it plastic or paper, can offer this level of total protection on its own.

Second is its physical robustness. Metal containers possess exceptional mechanical strength, allowing them to withstand the pressures of sterilization processes (like retorting), the rigors of transportation, and the potential for impacts during handling. This durability ensures the integrity of the product from the factory to the consumer’s pantry.

Third is its thermal conductivity. Metal’s ability to transfer heat efficiently is crucial for processes like pasteurization and sterilization, which ensure food safety, as well as for rapid chilling of beverages for consumption.

Finally, a point of growing significance is its recyclability. As we will explore in greater detail, both aluminum and steel are infinitely recyclable without loss of quality, making them cornerstone materials in the pursuit of a circular economy. This intrinsic value sets metal apart from many other packaging formats that may have more limited or complex recycling pathways.

Setting the Stage: The Two Titans of Metal Packaging

While various metals could theoretically be used, the modern packaging landscape is dominated by two materials: aluminum and steel. All other metals are either too expensive (like titanium), too reactive (like magnesium), or too heavy (like lead) for widespread use in consumer packaging. Therefore, when one asks what metal is used in packaging, the answer almost invariably points to one of these two.

• Aluminum (Al): Known for its light weight, excellent formability, and corrosion resistance. It is the material of choice for beverage cans, flexible foils, trays, and tubes.
• Steel (specifically Tin-Plated Steel or Tin-Free Steel): Valued for its immense strength, rigidity, and magnetic properties. It is predominantly used for food cans, aerosol containers, paint cans, and large industrial drums.

These two metals are not interchangeable. Their distinct characteristics make them suitable for different applications, and understanding these differences is key to appreciating the sophisticated design behind every metal package. Let us now embark on a deeper examination of each, exploring their properties, applications, and their journey from raw material to recycled good.

The First Key Metal: Understanding Aluminum

Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust, yet its use in packaging is a relatively modern phenomenon. Its commercial production only became viable in the late 19th century with the development of the Hall-Héroult process. Its light weight was an immediate attraction, and by the 1960s, it had begun its takeover of the beverage can market. Today, it is a ubiquitous material, valued not only for its physical properties but also for its exceptional recycling credentials.

The Chemical and Physical Nature of Aluminum

The properties that make aluminum so valuable for packaging are rooted in its atomic structure. As a lightweight metal with a density about one-third that of steel, it offers significant advantages in transportation. Imagine a truckload of canned beverages; using aluminum instead of steel means more liquid and less metal is being transported for the same total weight, leading to lower fuel consumption and reduced carbon emissions throughout the supply chain (Geissdoerfer et al., 2020).

Another key characteristic is its natural corrosion resistance. When exposed to air, aluminum instantly forms a very thin but extremely dense and durable layer of aluminum oxide on its surface. This passive layer is inert and protects the metal underneath from further oxidation or reaction with the product inside. This is why you can store acidic beverages like sodas or fruit juices in an aluminum can without the metal corroding and leaching into the drink.

Furthermore, aluminum is highly malleable and ductile. This means it can be easily shaped, rolled, and drawn into complex forms without breaking. This property is what allows for the creation of seamless two-piece cans through the drawing and ironing process, as well as the production of ultra-thin foils used for everything from yogurt lids to pharmaceutical blister packs.

Common Applications: From Beverage Cans to Foil Wraps

The most visible application of aluminum packaging is undoubtedly the beverage can. Its dominance in this sector is due to the perfect alignment of its properties with the demands of the product. It is lightweight for easy handling and transport, strong enough to contain carbonated pressure, provides a total barrier to light and oxygen that would degrade the beverage, and chills quickly for consumer enjoyment.

Beyond cans, aluminum’s versatility shines in other forms:

• Aluminum Foil: Rolled to thicknesses as low as 0.006 mm, foil is used as a standalone wrap (e.g., for kitchen use) or as a laminate layer in flexible packaging (e.g., juice boxes, coffee bags) to provide a superior barrier.
• Trays and Containers: Semi-rigid aluminum trays are common for ready-meals, bakery products, and take-away food. They are lightweight, can go from the freezer to the oven, and are fully recyclable.
• Tubes: Collapsible aluminum tubes are used for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and adhesives. The metal’s malleability allows the tube to be squeezed, and its barrier properties protect the sensitive contents from degradation.
• Aerosol Cans: While steel is also used, aluminum is favored for personal care products like deodorants and hairsprays where a premium feel and complex shaping are desired.

The Manufacturing Process: How an Aluminum Can is Made

The creation of a modern two-piece aluminum beverage can is a marvel of high-speed manufacturing. Understanding this process provides insight into the material’s properties.

1. Blanking: The journey begins with a large coil of aluminum sheet. A machine called a cupping press punches out circular discs, or “blanks.”
2. Cupping: Each blank is then drawn into a shallow cup.
3. Drawing and Ironing (D&I): This is the most critical step. A series of punches force the cup through progressively smaller rings. This action “draws” the cup upwards and “irons” the walls, stretching them to be much taller and thinner than the original cup. This process must be perfectly calibrated to avoid tearing the metal.
4. Trimming and Washing: The top of the can has an uneven edge, which is trimmed off. The can is then thoroughly washed to remove any lubricants used in the D&I process.
5. Coating and Printing: The exterior is printed with the brand’s design, and the interior is sprayed with a protective coating or liner. This liner is a crucial element that prevents any interaction between the aluminum and the beverage.
6. Necking and Flanging: The top of the can is “necked” inwards to reduce its diameter, preparing it to receive the lid. A flange (a small lip) is then formed around the top edge.
7. Filling and Seaming: The can is filled with the beverage, and the lid (the “end”) is placed on top. A seaming machine folds the flange of the can body and the edge of the lid together, creating an airtight, permanent seal.

This entire sequence, from a flat disc to a sealed can, can happen in a fraction of a second on a modern production line.

Sustainability and Recycling: Aluminum’s “Infinite” Loop

Perhaps aluminum’s most compelling attribute in the 21st century is its recyclability. It is a permanently available material, meaning it can be recycled over and over again into new products without any degradation in its quality. An aluminum can is 100% recyclable.

The environmental and economic benefits are immense. Recycling an aluminum can saves approximately 95% of the energy required to produce new aluminum from its raw material, bauxite ore (International Aluminium Institute, 2022). This energy saving also translates to a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Think about that for a moment: for nearly the same energy cost of making one can from virgin material, you could make twenty cans from recycled material.

The recycling process is straightforward. After collection, cans are shredded, cleaned, and melted in a furnace. The molten aluminum is then cast into large ingots, which are rolled into new sheets ready to be made into new cans or other products. The turnaround can be incredibly fast; a recycled can could be back on the store shelf as a new can in as little as 60 days. This creates a near-perfect closed-loop system, a prime example of a circular economy in action. The high scrap value of aluminum also provides a strong economic incentive for collection and recycling, which is why aluminum can recycling rates are often higher than those for other packaging materials in many regions.

The Second Key Metal: Exploring Steel’s Role

While aluminum commands the beverage sector, steel remains the stalwart guardian of preserved foods and other robust applications. When we talk about steel in packaging, we are typically referring to either Tin-Plated Steel (TPS) or Electrolytic Chromium Coated Steel (ECCS), also known as Tin-Free Steel (TFS). Bare steel would rust far too quickly to be useful for packaging, so these microscopic coatings are essential.

The Composition and Strength of Tin-Plated Steel

Steel itself is an alloy of iron and carbon. For packaging, a low-carbon steel is used for its formability. This steel base is then coated with an incredibly thin layer of tin. How thin? A typical layer of tin is only about 0.0001 inches thick. This tin layer serves two primary purposes: it provides excellent corrosion resistance and a non-toxic, food-safe surface.

The defining characteristic of steel is its strength and rigidity. It is significantly stronger and less prone to denting than aluminum, which is why it is the material of choice for applications that require maximum physical protection. This strength allows food cans to be stacked high in warehouses and on store shelves without risk of crushing, and it enables them to withstand the high temperatures and pressures of the food sterilization process known as retorting.

Where We Find Steel: Food Cans, Aerosols, and Drums

The answer to what metal is used in packaging for shelf-stable foods is overwhelmingly steel. From canned vegetables, fruits, and soups to fish and meats, the steel can, often called a “tin can,” is the standard. Its hermetic seal and ability to withstand thermal processing make it the perfect vessel for long-term food preservation without refrigeration.

Other key applications for steel packaging include:

• Aerosol Cans: For products like spray paint, lubricants, and insecticides that are under high pressure, the strength of steel is a critical safety feature. Its three-piece construction (a cylindrical body, a top, and a bottom) is well-suited for these applications.
• Paint Cans and Closures: The durability of steel makes it ideal for containing paints, solvents, and other chemicals. It is also used to make bottle caps and twist-off lids (known as “closures”) for glass jars and bottles.
• Industrial Drums: For bulk transport of chemicals, oils, and other industrial products, large steel drums (typically 55 gallons) are the industry standard due to their unmatched strength and reusability.

The Manufacturing Journey of a Steel Can

The most common type of steel food can is the three-piece can. Its construction differs from the two-piece aluminum can.

1. Body Formation: A flat, rectangular sheet of tin-plated steel is cut to size. It is then rolled into a cylinder, and the two edges are welded together to form a side seam. This welding process is incredibly fast and creates a seal as strong as the metal itself.
2. Flanging: Both the top and bottom edges of the cylinder are flanged outwards to prepare them for the lids.
3. End Stamping and Seaming: One end (the bottom) is stamped from another sheet of steel. This end is then attached to the can body using a double-seaming process, similar to how an aluminum can is sealed.
4. Coating: As with aluminum, an internal protective lacquer is applied to prevent any interaction between the steel and the food product.
5. Filling and Final Seaming: The can is filled with the food product, and the final end (the top) is seamed on, hermetically sealing the contents. The can is now ready for the sterilization process.

Steel’s Recycling Story: A Magnetic Advantage

Like aluminum, steel is 100% recyclable without any loss of its inherent physical properties. It can be remelted and reformed into new steel products an infinite number of times. The energy savings from recycling steel are also substantial, using about 74% less energy than producing it from raw materials (American Iron and Steel Institute, 2023).

Steel has a unique advantage in the recycling stream: it is magnetic. This simple property makes it incredibly easy to separate from other waste materials. At material recovery facilities (MRFs), powerful magnets are used to pull steel cans and other steel items out of the mixed recycling stream with very high efficiency. This is a major reason why steel has one of the highest recycling rates of any packaging material in the world. In Europe, the recycling rate for steel packaging reached a record 85.5% in 2021 (APEAL, 2023).

Once separated, the steel is baled and sent to a steel mill. There, it is melted down in a furnace and mixed with virgin iron ore to produce new steel. This recycled content is a vital part of modern steelmaking, not just for packaging but for cars, buildings, and appliances. Every new piece of steel produced today contains recycled steel.

A Comparative Analysis: Aluminum vs. Steel in Packaging

Having explored the individual characteristics of aluminum and steel, a direct comparison can help clarify their respective roles in the packaging world. The choice between them is a complex engineering and economic decision, not a simple matter of one being “better” than the other.

Weight and Formability: The Malleability Factor

The most striking difference is weight. An empty 12-ounce aluminum can weighs less than half an ounce, while a steel can of similar volume would be significantly heavier. This low density is aluminum’s trump card, reducing shipping costs and the overall carbon footprint of the product’s distribution.

This is coupled with aluminum’s superior formability. It can be drawn into the seamless, thin-walled body of a two-piece can, a process that is much more challenging for steel. This allows for more intricate shaping and embossing, giving brands greater design freedom. Steel, being more rigid, is better suited to the simpler cylindrical shape of a three-piece can.

Strength and Durability: Protection Against the Elements

Here, steel has the clear advantage. Its rigidity and strength make it the only viable choice for products that are vacuum-packed or sterilized under high pressure and heat, as is common for canned foods. An aluminum can would likely deform or buckle under these conditions. Similarly, for high-pressure aerosol products or heavy-duty industrial drums, steel’s robustness is a matter of safety and necessity. Steel’s strength allows food cans to be stacked high in warehouses without the risk of the bottom layer being crushed, an important logistical consideration.

Cost-Effectiveness and Economic Considerations

The economics of metal packaging are complex. The price of raw aluminum and steel fluctuates on global commodity markets. Generally, producing aluminum from bauxite is more energy-intensive and expensive than producing steel from iron ore. However, this is offset by several factors.

Aluminum’s light weight means lower transportation costs. Furthermore, the extremely high energy savings from recycling give aluminum scrap a very high market value. This high value helps fund collection and recycling programs, creating a virtuous economic cycle. Steel scrap also has value, but typically less than aluminum on a per-ton basis. The ease of magnetic separation, however, lowers the processing cost for steel recycling. Ultimately, the choice often comes down to the specific requirements of the product. For a carbonated beverage, the benefits of aluminum’s light weight and formability outweigh any potential cost differences. For canned corn, steel’s ability to withstand the retort process at a low cost is the deciding factor.

Environmental Footprint: A Life Cycle Perspective

When evaluating the environmental credentials of packaging, it is essential to look at the entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life management. Both aluminum and steel have significant environmental impacts during their primary production phase. Bauxite mining for aluminum and iron ore mining for steel are land-intensive processes, and smelting both metals requires enormous amounts of energy, traditionally from fossil fuels.

However, their story changes dramatically when recycling is factored in. The massive energy savings associated with recycling both metals drastically reduce their overall environmental footprint. Because they can be recycled infinitely without loss of quality, every can that is collected and reprocessed avoids the need for primary production. This is why improving collection and recycling rates is the single most important factor in the sustainability of metal packaging.

A consumer who diligently recycles their aluminum and steel cans is participating in one of the world’s most successful circular economy models. The metal in the can they recycle today will almost certainly become part of another high-quality product in the future, whether it’s another can, a bicycle frame, or a structural beam in a building. The key is ensuring the material makes it into the recycling stream in the first place.

Innovations and the Future of Metal Packaging

The world of metal packaging is far from static. Continuous innovation is making cans and containers lighter, safer, and smarter. The industry is responding to consumer demands for greater convenience and sustainability, as well as to evolving regulatory pressures. Understanding what metal is used in packaging also involves appreciating where the technology is headed.

Lightweighting and Material Reduction

One of the most significant ongoing trends is “lightweighting”—the process of redesigning containers to use less material without compromising their performance. Over the past few decades, the weight of the average aluminum beverage can has been reduced by over 40%. This is achieved through a combination of using stronger alloys and making micro-adjustments to the can’s design, such as changing the shape of the can base or the profile of the walls.

Similar efforts are underway for steel cans. Advances in steel manufacturing are producing stronger, thinner gauges of steel that can provide the same level of protection with less material. Every gram of metal saved, when multiplied by the billions of cans produced each year, results in massive savings in raw materials, energy consumption, and transportation emissions. This is a core part of the industry’s strategy to improve its environmental performance (Popp et al., 2021).

Advanced Coatings and Liners for Safety

The internal coating of a metal can is a critical, albeit invisible, component. It acts as a barrier, preventing the metal from reacting with the food or beverage. For decades, many of these liners were based on epoxy resins that contained Bisphenol A (BPA). While regulatory bodies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have maintained that BPA is safe at the very low levels found in can liners, consumer concerns have driven the industry to develop alternatives.

Today, a new generation of BPA-Non-Intent (BPA-NI) liners is widely used. These are typically based on acrylic or polyester chemistry and are the result of extensive research to find coatings that provide the same level of protection and performance as epoxy-based liners without the use of BPA. This transition demonstrates the industry’s responsiveness to consumer preference and its commitment to product safety.

Smart Packaging and Digital Integration

The future of packaging involves a digital dimension. Innovations are emerging that turn the humble can into an interactive device. Technologies like QR codes or near-field communication (NFC) tags can be integrated into the packaging, allowing consumers to access additional product information, promotional content, or traceability data simply by scanning the container with their smartphone.

This “smart packaging” can enhance brand engagement, provide consumers with greater transparency about the product’s origin and ingredients, and even offer instructions for proper recycling. While still in its early stages for metal packaging, the potential to connect the physical product to a digital experience is a significant area of future growth.

The Rise of Hybrid Materials and Alternative Choices

While aluminum and steel are titans, the packaging world is also seeing a rise in hybrid solutions that combine the best properties of different materials. For instance, you might see a composite can with a body made from recycled paperboard and ends made of steel or aluminum. This approach can reduce the overall weight and reliance on virgin materials.

In this context of material choice, it’s worth noting the role of other sustainable options. Companies that specialize in bolsas de papel ecológicas and other paper-based solutions offer alternatives for products that do not require the absolute barrier properties of metal. For dry goods, retail items, and take-away food, advanced paper packaging can provide a lightweight, renewable, and biodegradable option. The decision between metal, plastic, glass, and paper is a complex one that depends entirely on the product’s specific protection and shelf-life requirements. The key for a sustainable future is not finding one single “best” material, but rather choosing the right material for the right application.

Regulatory Landscape and Consumer Safety in 2025

The use of any material in contact with food is subject to strict regulation to ensure public health. Metal packaging is no exception. A complex web of national and international rules governs the types of metals, alloys, and especially the internal coatings that can be used.

Understanding Food-Contact Regulations (FDA, EFSA)

In the United States, food-contact materials are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA maintains a list of substances that are “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) for use in food packaging. Any new substance must undergo a rigorous approval process. Similarly, in the European Union, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) provides scientific advice and risk assessments on food-contact materials, which are then regulated under frameworks like Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004.

These regulations set strict limits on the migration of substances from the packaging into the food. Manufacturers must conduct extensive testing to prove that their containers are safe and that any potential transfer of substances is well below the established safe thresholds. This ensures that the can itself does not become a source of contamination.

The Concern Over BPA and the Shift to BPA-NI Liners

As mentioned earlier, the conversation around Bisphenol A (BPA) has been a major driver of innovation in can liners. BPA is a chemical compound that has been used for over 50 years to make epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. Its use in the epoxy liners of metal cans was valued for its durability and protective qualities.

Over the past two decades, some scientific studies raised questions about the potential health effects of BPA, particularly its ability to mimic the hormone estrogen. While major regulatory bodies like the FDA and EFSA have repeatedly reviewed the evidence and concluded that current exposure levels through food packaging are safe (EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, 2015), public perception and pressure from advocacy groups have been powerful forces.

In response, the packaging industry invested heavily in the research and development of alternatives. The result is the widespread availability of cans with BPA-NI (BPA-Non-Intent) liners. The “Non-Intent” part of the name is important; it means that while BPA is not an intentionally added ingredient, trace amounts might still be present from the wider industrial environment, though at levels far below any regulatory concern. This shift represents a significant and successful effort by the industry to respond to consumer demand for greater peace of mind.

Labeling, Transparency, and Consumer Trust

In 2025, consumers are more informed and demand more transparency than ever before. They want to know what their products are made of and how they should be disposed of. Clear and accurate labeling is key to building and maintaining consumer trust.

This includes clear on-pack recycling instructions, such as the widely recognized chasing arrows symbol, often accompanied by text that specifies the material (e.g., “Steel Can” or “Aluminum Can”). It also includes transparency about the packaging’s composition. While it is not typically required to list the specific type of internal liner, many brands that have transitioned to BPA-NI cans voluntarily state this on their packaging or website as a point of marketing and reassurance for their customers. As smart packaging becomes more common, consumers will have even greater access to detailed information about the entire life cycle of the package in their hands.

Preguntas más frecuentes (FAQ)

1. Is it safe to cook food in a metal can?

No, it is not recommended to cook food directly in a metal can. While the can is designed to withstand the high heat of the industrial sterilization process, heating it on a stovetop or in a microwave can be unsafe. The internal liners may not be designed for direct cooking temperatures and could degrade. Additionally, heating a sealed or partially opened can could cause a dangerous buildup of pressure. Always transfer the contents to a proper pot, pan, or microwave-safe dish before heating.

2. Why do some cans have a white or gold lining inside?

That lining is the protective coating that prevents the food from coming into direct contact with the metal. This is essential for preventing corrosion and any metallic taste from transferring to the food. The color (white, gold, or clear) depends on the specific type of liner chemistry used, which is chosen based on the properties of the food being canned (e.g., its acidity).

3. If a can is dented, is the food still safe to eat?

It depends on the severity of the dent. You should discard any can with a deep dent (one you can lay your finger into), a dent on a seam, or any can that is bulging or leaking. These are signs that the hermetic seal may have been compromised, allowing bacteria to enter and grow, which can lead to serious foodborne illness like botulism. Minor dents on the body of the can that have not affected the seams are generally considered safe. When in doubt, it is always safest to throw it out.

4. What is the difference between a “tin can” and a steel can?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but “tin can” is technically a misnomer. The can is almost entirely made of steel. The “tin” refers to the microscopic layer of tin that is plated onto the steel to prevent it from rusting. So, a tin can is actually a tin-plated steel can.

5. Are aluminum and steel cans from cat or dog food recyclable?

Yes, absolutely. Pet food cans, whether made of aluminum or steel, are just as recyclable as cans containing human food. The key is to make sure they are empty, clean, and dry before placing them in your recycling bin. A quick rinse to remove any food residue is usually sufficient. This prevents contamination of other recyclables and reduces odors at the recycling facility.

Conclusión

The inquiry into what metal is used in packaging leads us to a clear and compelling answer: aluminum and steel are the undisputed cornerstones of the industry. Their selection is a testament to their exceptional performance, offering an unmatched combination of strength, barrier protection, and durability. Aluminum, with its characteristic light weight and malleability, has become the standard for the beverage industry, while steel’s formidable strength continues to make it the ideal guardian for preserved foods and high-pressure products.

Beyond their functional excellence, their true modern value lies in their role within a sustainable, circular economy. Both metals are infinitely recyclable without any loss of quality, representing a model of resource preservation. The energy saved and emissions avoided through recycling are substantial, underscoring the critical importance of effective collection and processing systems. As technology advances with lighter designs and safer coatings, and as consumers become more environmentally conscious, the enduring legacy of metal packaging is poised not only to continue but to strengthen, providing a reliable and increasingly sustainable solution for protecting the goods that sustain our world.

Referencias

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APEAL (the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging). (2023). Steel packaging recycling reaches new all-time high of 85.5%.

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Geissdoerfer, M., Pieroni, M. P., Pigosso, D. C., & Soufani, K. (2020). Circular business models: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 277, 123741.

International Aluminium Institute. (2022). Aluminium recycling. international-aluminium.org

Popp, J., Balogh, P., Oláh, J., Kot, S., & Lakner, Z. (2021). The relationship between the packaging-free sales of products and the purchasing habits of Hungarian consumers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 278, 123956.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Bisphenol A (BPA): Use in food contact application.

Vandermeersch, G., Alvarenga, R. A. F., Ragaert, K., & Dewulf, J. (2014). Environmental sustainability assessment of a packaging-waste management system for Belgium. Waste Management, 34(10), 1865–1876.

Worrell, E., Allwood, J., & Gutowski, T. (2016). The circular economy: A new sustainability paradigm? Journal of Industrial Ecology, 20(3), 482-484. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12468

World Steel Association. (2022). Steel in the circular economy: A life cycle perspective.