At Natural Cosmetics Holland we do our business solely with suppliers who work according to sustainability policies. This calls for matching packaging as well. All of the packaging we use for our products, we make with fully recyclable material. Paper, glass and tin are examples of materials we work with. But what makes it that these materials are recyclable? How does the government make sure that paper, tin and glass are being recycled? In this article, we are zooming in on the recycling process of one of the most recyclable products in Holland: tin.
In Holland, nonetheless 95% of the tin products are being recycled. It is not weird that our land is one of the countries that score the highest on recycling these materials in Europe. The goal of recycling tin in the European Union is set to 50%. In Holland, this goal is 85%. Our country scores a lot higher than others. Because this rate is so high, it is clear that we see this material as an important one. Tin is highly recyclable and has tremendous economic value. Also, if properly managed, the material retains its qualities and characteristics. The cans we throw away today could be the bike or plane that is built tomorrow. Crucial is that the circulation process of tin is closed. Both aluminium and tinplate are permanent materials that can be recycled and reused an infinite number of times without loss of any of their properties.
Most metal packaging is made out of steel. The rest consists of aluminium. Out of these two products, the production of new aluminium is the worst for the environment. Important is to properly recycle these metal packaging. In some towns, it is allowed to throw away tin in residual waste. The metal is being parted from the other waste in the waste incineration plant with magnets. In other towns, it is desirable to throw away the tin products in special bags made for plastic, metals and paper packaging for beverages. In both cases, the recycling process of tin is quite simple. When these materials have been parted from others, the tin can be used to make other products. For example, our tin packaging used to store our cosmetic products.
The cradle to cradle approach of the material has great benefits for the environment and the climate. It leads to significant energy savings - at least 70 to 95 per cent -, lower CO2 emissions and more economical use of raw materials. Not only because of the growing reuse but also because the metal packaging of products is getting thinner and production is more energy-efficient. The material remains light, strong and flexible and can be moulded into any shape needed for containers and branding. Because of this, it makes it an ideal packaging that fits our purpose.