CORUS STEEL PACKAGING RECYCLING  

Corus Steel Packaging Recycling (CSPR) is the UK's centre of technical and communications expertise on steel packaging recycling - established to help raise the UK's steel recycling levels by facilitating and promoting the further recovery and recycling of all types of steel packaging.

CSPR's aims are to:

Work in partnership with local authorities, waste management companies, the ferrous scrap industry, compliance schemes, the Government, industry and other organisations involved in steel packaging to increase cost-effective steel packaging recovery.

Facilitate the acceleration of steel packaging recycling by bringing together the participants in recycling schemes at a regional and national level.

Provide strategic advice and information to the public and private sector on the most suitable steel packaging recovery schemes.

Provide technical information on steel packaging recovery for local authorities and waste management companies developing steel packaging recovery schemes.

Provide communications support to promote the recovery of steel packaging to all involved in:

• commercial and industrial steel packaging
• consumer steel packaging through the Steel Can Recycling Information Bureau

Provide an end market for recovered steel packaging in British Steel's steel-making plants. These plants have capacity in excess of the recycling requirements of the legislation.

Why Recycle Steel?

Up to 25% of every steel can is made from recycled steel.

Popularity of steel as a packaging material - the UK consumes more than 13 billion cans each year and approximately 150,000 tonnes of industrial and commercial steel packaging (drums, strapping and baling wire).

Saves energy - the use of scrap steel saves up to 75% of the energy needed to make steel from virgin materials. Steel cans are one of the lowest energy forms of packaging

• If all the drinks cans in the UK were made of steel, the energy saved would be equivalent to that needed to light every home in the UK for four weeks

Saves on raw material - every tonne of steel cans recycled for example saves:

• 1.5 tonnes of iron ore
• 0.5 tonnes of coal
• 40% of water required in production

Reduces landfill - as steel is 100% recyclable, it saves on valuable, natural resources by not going to landfill.

Why is steel packaging recycling such a success ?

• Steel is the only common metal which is magnetic and this makes steel the easiest packaging material to recover from household waste.
• Steel can be easily recovered using simple electromagnets.
• Steel, unlike any other packaging material, can be recovered economically wherever it arises, whether from household or industrial waste.
• Eight out of ten local authorities recover steel cans.
• There are some 2,000 Save-a-Can banks across the UK
• More than 80% of industrial and commercial steel packaging is recovered through existing steel scrap outlets.

How do local authorities recover steel cans ?

Local authorities are keen to include steel in their recycling plans because it can be cost-effectively recovered through a number of different schemes, helping to achieve the Government's recycling targets. The three most popular recovery methods are:

• Magnetic extraction - steel cans are recovered automatically from 'black bag' waste using simple electromagnets.
• Kerbside collection - materials for recycling are sorted at home and collected from the doorstep.
• Bring schemes - can banks

For more information on Corus Steel Packaging Recycling contact:

Corus Steel Packaging Recycling
PO Box 18, Ebbw Vale
South Wales NP3 6YL

Tel: 01495 334 521
Fax: 01495 350 988
Website: http://www.scrib.org