There are different types of materials used for the packaging. All of these materials have some advantages and disadvantages. Metal is also used for the packaging of many products especially food, fashion, and candles. Metal is not very new in the packaging industry. People are using it for packing since they started mining 11000 years ago. People usually use metal for making jewelry, tools, and weapons. Moreover, people use to make small containers for holding precious items. Metal tin containers are really easy to use as compared to other options. The use of metal in packaging increase during the industrial revolution.

When we talk about metal, there are many types such as iron, steel, etc. Iron containers are not good with products that contain moisture. Moisture can cause rust in iron which can cause life-threatening diseases. That is why; most of the containers were made using tin. It is a really good metal for carrying food. That is why; it was the first choice for the British Navy. Now the industry is using stainless steel with tin coating. Another metal used in packing is Aluminum.

How is it Better Than Plastic?

Both metal and plastic are extracted from the earth. These materials are then refined and processed to give them their final form. During the mining process, there are many toxins released that can destroy the ecosystem. Moreover, the refining process also includes chemicals that result in toxic by-products. Moreover, the whole process requires energy which is obtained by burning fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels emit gasses that are not good for the environment. The transportation of such materials also require energy.

Advantages

On the other hand, metals like tinplate and aluminum can recycle an infinite number of times. Moreover, it needs less energy to recycle the material than mining, processing, and refining. They can be molded into any really good shape. So, these metals are really good when it comes to recycling because it reduces damage to the ecosystem, reduce water, air and land pollution.

Tinplate is made of steel with a tin coating. This tin coating gives it protection against rust. It can also be recycled an infinite number of times. There are following advantages of tinplate:

• It reduces the consumption of energy during production.
• Less water pollution and air emissions.
• It requires less water during production.

These are some of the reasons that this material is the most recycled one in Europe. The containers made of steel can easily be detected using a magnet. So, they use large magnets to recover steel.

Aluminum

The production of this material is the most energy-intensive. Aluminum is used for making cans for paints, cosmetics, food, etc. The rate of recycling aluminum is also highest in Europe. Most of the aluminum used in automobiles are recycled but only 60% is recycled from packaging. You can say that more than 80% of aluminum is recovered in the whole of Europe. The recycling process needs less energy and thus it prevents emissions. We think that every country should focus on recycling the metal as much as they can.