Press
Neunkirchen, 15th January 2025. The EU Council officially adopted a regulation on packaging and packaging waste at the end of 2024. The binding rules, which apply to all EU member states, cover the entire life cycle of packaging. The aim is to specifically promote reusable and recycled packaging, and significantly reduce the use of single-use packaging. This applies equally to end customers (B2C) and business customers (B2B). As a manufacturing company, SCHÄFER Container Systems has decades of experience and comprehensive expertise in the field of reusable stainless steel packaging and supports companies in implementing the new regulations with innovative packaging solutions for liquid, paste-like and free-flowing media.
Although recycling rates in the EU are increasing, the amount of packaging waste is growing faster than the amount of recycled materials. In 2022, almost 186.5 kg of packaging waste was generated per person in the EU, 36 kg of which came from plastic packaging. This corresponds to a daily packaging waste of around half a kilogramme per person.
The adopted EU regulation on sustainable packaging is an important step towards counteracting this undesirable development. It introduces mandatory reuse quotas from 2030 and specifically strengthens the reusable approach in the circular economy. This applies not only to familiar consumer packaging such as PET bottles, glass bottles and cans, but also to all industrial packaging such as plastic IBCs, steel drums, tinplate packaging, pouch systems, etc.
In contrast to European directives, which must be transposed into national law within a certain period of time, EU regulations like this one apply directly and uniformly in all member states without the need for national transposition. The new regulation comprises 265 pages (excluding annexes) and is applicable 18 months after its entry into force – this will be 20 days after publication in the Official Journal – but no later than the third quarter of 2026.
"We already offer customised stainless steel packaging solutions for very different requirements in many different industries. In this way, we have been enabling reuse for decades and supporting a genuine circular economy. Accessories, services and traceability solutions – tracking and digital fleet management – are available for all containers. For example, data loggers can be added to IBCs to record sensor data and seamlessly integrated into Industry 4.0 merchandise management systems," explains Guido Klinkhammer, Managing Director of the SCHÄFER WERKE Group.
KEGs, special containers and IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers) made of stainless steel are characterised by numerous advantages: Consistently high quality, diverse application possibilities and decades of safe reusability. This is why SCHÄFER is a member of the German Metal Packaging Association (Verband Metallverpackung – VMV) and is committed to raising awareness of reusable stainless steel packaging across all sectors.
The product range includes partially and fully jacketed as well as pure stainless steel KEGs and self-contained dispensing systems for e.g. beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks, mineral water and fruit juices. Numerous branding processes, including electro-chemical signatures and in-mould labelling, enable a brand-appropriate design.
SCHÄFER Container Systems also manufactures IBCs and special stainless steel containers. These are available as liquid and bulk containers, aseptic and heating IBCs, certified hazardous goods containers and as ion exchangers for water treatment, and they have been tried and tested for decades in the beverage, food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
The basis for these numerous possible applications lies in the unique properties of stainless steel, which is an impressive material for sustainable packaging thanks to its versatility and durability, even under demanding conditions.
One outstanding strength of stainless steel is that – unlike plastics – the material does not release particles even under high industrial loads. As a result, the purity of organic and inorganic substances, including many pharmaceuticals that often contain acids or bases, is completely preserved on contact with stainless steel.
Metals are characterised by their high reflectivity and impermeability to light, regardless of the thickness of the material. These properties make stainless steel alloys ideal for protecting hazardous substances, foodstuffs, beverages, cosmetics and medicines from undesirable influences.
Stainless steel containers are also hygienic and easy to sterilise, making them ideal for sensitive liquids and pasty substances. Furthermore, sealed metal packaging provides effective protection from external vapours and gases, since metal is inherently absolutely impermeable.
Plastics, on the other hand, cannot offer the versatile advantages of stainless steel.
In addition, reducing the packaging material can be both an economical and environmentally friendly measure, as can be seen with the weight-optimised ECO KEG or the lightweight IBC SCHÄFER Cube.
Overall, bulk packaging made of stainless steel regularly has a significantly better environmental footprint compared to plastic containers. They are corrosion-resistant and withstand mechanical influences, making them ideal for long-term use.
At the end of its decades-long life cycle, stainless steel packaging can be recycled as often as required, as the positive properties of the material are retained – metal recycles forever. In Germany, stainless steel packaging achieves the highest recycling rates of all packaging materials at over 90 per cent, while the European average is 76 per cent according to the German Metal Packaging Association.
However, a sustainable packaging solution must always fulfil the specific requirements of the medium and the respective situation. This is why SCHÄFER Container Systems is continuously developing packaging solutions and adapting them to new requirements.
You can find the new EU regulation at: Click for EU regulation
