The objective of the lifecycle analysis and management
We conduct is to analyse and understand the environmental impact of our products. GHG emissions related to the full life cycle of our products result from:
• The production and end-of-life of metal.
• The volume and type of material used in our production process (metal, inks, coatings, compounds),
• Secondary packaging we use in receiving materials and shipping our products.
• Transportation from our suppliers and to our customers.
Our products are made of metal, a permanent material which is efficiently and infinitely recyclable, enabling the most optimised end of life.
The most recycled packaging material
• Steel is the most recycled material in the world.
• 85.5% of steel packaging is currently recycled in Europe.
• It is estimated that the recycled content rate of steel packaging in Europe is 58% of steel for packaging produced in Europe and 50% for Aluminium.
Source: Industry experts – APEAL (2020 data); ACE, FEVE, European Aluminium, (2019 data); Eurostat (2019 data)
A permanent material is one whose inherent properties do not change during use and despite repeated recycling into new products. Its recycling does not necessarily require the addition of primary material or additives to enable the basic material function and properties.
Metal is easy to sort and its value does not diminish
The new method for calculating the recycling rate, currently required by the EU, maintains metal material at the highest rates amongst all other materials. The new recycling rates are 78.5% for steel and 76.1% for aluminium, thanks to technologies for easy extraction from the materials extracted from general waste, making metal packaginig the most recycled packaging. We recycle 100% of the metal that arrives at our recycling centres, or upcycle it into new metal products.
Although metal is highly recyclable, its production is CO2 intensive. To address the carbon intensity of metal production, we work with metal producers who are committed to achieving the targets set out in the Paris Agreement. For further discussion of our metal supply chain, please see the Scope 3 discussion in this report.
Eviosys’ works continuously to downgauge our products so that they contain the lowest volume of metal possible while preserving the integrity of our packaging offer. Our long term objective, which we expect to accomplish by 2050, is to sell products made of low-carbon metal with the highest recycling rate possible. Based on mass balance methodology, in Europe the recycled content of steel is 58%, and for aluminium it is 50% (source: APEAL and European Aluminium).
Eviosys has the largest manufacturing footprint among all companies in our sector
We work with local suppliers and maintain production close to our customers to optimise logistics throughout our value chain and reduce the transportation-related GHG emissions of our products.
The regulatory framework for packaging in Europe is expected to evolve significantly.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is a EU Commission proposal, expected to be adopted in 2024, that aims to promote packaging circularity and reduce the impact of packaging on the environment. The objectives of the proposed regulation are: 1) to prevent the use of packaging waste; 2) to boost high-quality recycling; and 3) to harmonise rules on labelling, void space, and mandatory recycled content.
Promoting the recyclability of metal packaging
Given the recyclability of metal and its circularitypromoting properties, we believe that the metal packaging products we manufacture have a crucial role to play in the evolving regulatory environment.
We work with Metal Packaging Europe (MPE) to defend the advantages of metal packaging within the context of the new regulatory framework being established for optimised one-way packaging systems with high recycling rates, such as cans for food products.
2023 Achievements
In 2023 we continued to conduct product life cycle analysis in the development and design phase of all new products, and for all new customers. We use a tool called Instant LCA, developed by Pilario, to provide real-time carbon footprint information to our customers. The software we use is proprietary and is aligned with the specifications of MPE. This analysis enables us to compare different materials and product features with the aim of analysing the life cycle of our products from cradle to grave. The tool is certified ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
During the year, we continued to reduce the overall quantity of metal used in our products, accounting for part of our reduction in GHG emissions during the year. We continued our work with MPE to develop a Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) with the aim establishing a scoring system to indicate the number of recycling loops that materials can undergo while still retaining their physical properties. The objective of the MCI is to provide a benchmark for the actual recyclability and circularity of materials.
