Spain recycled 3 billion steel drinks cans in 2012

Spain collected 3 billion steel drinks cans in 2012, up 3.4% compared with 2011, according to the country's association for drinks canmakers, Latas de Bebidas.

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In total, 6 billion drinks cans were recycled in 2012, up from a total of 5.8 billion drinks cans in 2011, according to Latas de Bebidas – with steel and aluminium each accounting for 50% of the market.

Latas de Bebidas said the steel drinks can recycling rate in Spain for 2012 was 89.4%, up from 82% in 2011.

According to the Spanish steel association, Unesid, Spain remains the top recycler of all steel products in Europe.

In 2012, Unesid told Steel First that in Spain, 80.6% of domestically produced steel is recycled, followed by Italy with a recycling rate of 77% and then Germany, which has a recycling rate of 44.7%. 

According to the world’s largest steel producer ArcelorMittal, which supplies steel to the packaging industry from Aviles in northern Spain and Florange in north-east France, steel remains ahead of aluminium as the most recycled packaging material in Europe.