Are tins recyclable?
Tin box packaging have been widely applicable in many industries especially for food industry. Tin box is made of tinplate which is steel coated with tin and it is a food grade material. Tinplate is a highly recyclable and sustainable material. Environment protection is an vital focus for every manufacturers, enterprises and personnel.
Why is it so important to recycle tin box?
The recycle of tin box helps conserve resources, reduce landfill waste, and lower energy consumption compared to producing new tinplate.
What’s the main Classification by use in our daily life?
Classification by use | Shape | Main Application Industry | Production Process Difference | Recycle difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aerosol cans | Round/Cylinder | Cooking sprays, personal care products, spray paint | Welded seaming | Need professional handling |
Milk powder cans | Regular shape-Round, rectangular | Dry powder products like milk powder, matcha powder | Welded seaming | Easy |
Beverage cans | Round/Cylinder | Any drinks | Welded seaming | Easy |
Canned food | Regular shape-Round, rectangular | Oil or water based food | Welded seaming | Easy |
Decorative tin box | Versatile shapes | Versatile but no applicable for liquidDry food(cookie, chocolate, tea, candy, pre-roll, spice and others)Gifts and craftsCosmetics and Candles | Regular seaming | Easy |
Tinplate is one of main packaging material used in food industry due to its corrosion resistance, non-toxicity and ability to preserve food quality. Secondly it is durable, lightweight, eco-friendly, sustainable and recyclable. Many tin cans have expoxy or polymer coatings to provent metal-food reactions and the food-grade tin coatings strictly meet safety standards- FDA 21 CFR, EU Regulation 1935/2004.
And tin can is a nice replacement for candle vessel. Candle tins with an interior varnish coating helps to protect the metal from discoloration. Tin can is relatively cheap, durable and lightweight compared with other candle containers.
What’s the recycling process of tin box?
collection & Sorting
Source: Used tin boxes such as food cans, gift tins, cosmetic tin case or tinplate scrap during tin packaging production are collected from household recycling bins; scrap metal dealers; industrial waste streams
Sorting: separated from other metals such as aluminum, plastic, glass using magnets (tinplate is magnetic unlike aluminum); eddy current separators for non-ferrous metals; manual sorting to remove contaminants like paper or food residue
Cleaning & Preparation
Shredding: Tin boxes are crushed or shredded into small pieces to save space and ease processing.
Decontamination: Washed to remove labels, adhesives, and food residues by using hot water & detergents; chemical baths for stubborn residues
Melting & Purification
Steel Recovery: since tinplate is mostly steel about 99% and with a thin tin coating, it is melted in a steel furnace about 1500° Celsius. The tin coating evaporates as tin has a lower melting point than steel; the molten steel is purified to remove impurities.
Tin Recovery: The evaporated tin is captured via electrolytic processes and reused
Reformation into new products
The purified molten steel is cast into new steel sheets or molded into products like new tin cans, automotive parts, construction materials. The recovered tin can be reused for coating new tinplate as well as electronics,
Environmental & Economic
- Energy savings: Recycling steel uses 75% less energy than producing new steel from iron ore.
- Reduced mining: Less need for raw material extraction.
- Lower Emissions: Steel recycling cuts CO2 emissions by 58%.
- Infinite recyclability: Steel or tin can be recycled endlessly without quality loss.
At Tinspkg, we are proud to provide all customers with tin packaging that is sustainable and environmentally friendly. Our tin packaging is fully recyclable and can be recycled infinitely without any loss in quality. This means that our tins can be reused time and time again, providing an endless cycle of sustainability. We are glad that more and more enterprises and manufacturers focus on the importance of using eco-friendly packaging and making changes.
How to reuse tin box in people’s daily life?
After finish food or other items packaged in tin container, how to reuse it? There are numerous and it depends upon your needs and creativity.
For large deep tin container, you can decorate it and plant a small sapling in it; or reuse it as a homemade baked goods storage containers.
For tea tin can or round empty ca, people can use it as pen holder, tool collection box, or as ash-tray, desktop trash can
For a candy tin box, people can reuse it as a small items storage box to keep desk tidy and clean.
Tea Tin Containers
Candy Tin Containers
In conclusion
Tin box is definitely recyclable and sustainable. Tinplate packaging is an eco-friendly choice for many industries. Want to learn more about tins application, welcome to contact Tinspkg. Tinspkg have over 11 years tin packaging production experience including ODM and OEM service. To discover more possibilities of tin packaging today.
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