Packaging is a part of our everyday lives but not always fully understood. We hope to enlighten teachers, students and parents to the attributes of metal as a packaging medium with this range of educational projects. They are designed to cover several National Curriculum subject areas, and there are a range of worksheets for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children.
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Metal Manufacturing Industry
The metals manufacturing industry plays a significant part in the UK economy; metal packaging is just one of a number of sectors but none the less a major one. Around 550,000 tonnes of steel and 115,000 tonnes of aluminium are used annually to produce all types of consumer packaging including: cans for food, beverages and paint products, promotional and giftware tins, aerosols, caps and closures. The UK is one of Europe’s largest producers of metal packaging with a turnover of over £1.2 billion in steel and aluminium products; of this, metal containers and closures to the value of £150 million are for export. The sector is also a significant employer with over 5,300 people working at around 35 plants throughout the country.
The integrity of metal as a packaging material is second to none and it is a renewable material, a factor which is increasingly important to both consumers and companies. In fact, steel and aluminium cans are the most recyclable package in the market place. 51% of the total tonnage of steel used to produce cans, is recycled after use and all new steel contains up to 25% of recycled material. 28% of the aluminium used for packaging is recycled with a large proportion going back specifically into making new aluminium cans.
Metal Product Integrity
Product integrity and sustainability are the cornerstones of this vibrant industry. These fundamental attributes of metal enable the leading manufacturers to continue to come forward with technical innovations ensuring that metal remains the packaging material of choice for both consumers and fillers.
Education content for this site was researched and developed by Focused Learning.
