ABSTRACT
The metals used in packaging are primarily steel and aluminum. Steel recycling industries separate and process this steel, producing about 80 grades of ferrous scrap. The contaminants most likely to be found in steel packaging scrap are organics from coatings, lead from solder, and tin from tinplate cans. Steel drums have historically had a higher recycling rate than steel cans, but recently drum recycling has encountered new difficulties in the United States. Steel drums have become identified with toxic wastes as reports of chemicals leaking from drums at disposal or dump sites proliferate all over the country. Aluminum is the success story of packaging material recycling. Aluminum can scrap is used by both primary and secondary aluminum producers. The steel industry, with the assistance of the Steel Can Recycling Institute, has shown tremendous progress in increasing the recycling of steel packaging, but much more needs to be done.
