RICREA: EU 2030 target exceeded
At Made in Steel 2025, the National Consortium for the Recycling and Recovery of Steel Packaging presented the official figures: 435,000 tonnes of steel recycled in 2024.
During the most important event in Southern Europe dedicated to the steel supply chain, the RICREA report confirms the high-profile role played by Italy in the circular economy of steel packaging, following the positive trend of a sector that is performing well above European targets.
Numbers exceeding expectations
In 2024, 435,539 tonnes of steel packaging was sent for recycling, registering a recycling rate of 86.4% of the packaging released for consumption. This result is more than 6 percentage points above the 80 per cent target set by the European Union for 2030, demonstrating the solidity of the national separate waste collection system and the efficacy of the circular economy policies implemented through the CONAI System.
The permanent circularity of steel. Steel is a material that can be recycled indefinitely without losing its intrinsic qualities. From container to waste to new raw material, it can always be reused in new ways: railway tracks, manhole covers, street furniture such as, for example, the innovative Steelosa benches made entirely from recycled steel. These unique characteristics make steel the most widely recycled material in Europe, because it is easily sorted and fully recoverable in the production cycle.
Environmental and economic impact
According to preliminary data developed based on LCC Conai calculations, in 2024 the recycling of steel packaging generated significant environmental and economic impacts. The recycling of 435,539 tonnes enabled a saving of 2.7 TWh of primary energy, avoiding the use of 495,000 tonnes of raw material and preventing the dispersion of 868,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
An increasingly virtuous future
According to Domenico Rinaldini, President of RICREA, the 2024 results confirmed the efficacy of the model and the strategic role of the Consortium in driving the transition towards a circular economy.
«The system we have built - said Rinaldini - involves the entire supply chain, from users who separate their waste correctly to the refuse collection operators, as well as the steel mills where the steel is reused in endless ways. The results have already exceeded the European 2030 targets, confirming Italy’s role as a major player in the steel circular economy and demonstrating that the transition to a sustainable development model is not only possible, but already a reality».
