The German tinplate manufacturer thyssenkrupp Rasselstein has launched “the world’s first food can made of CO2-reduced bluemint Steel” together with the Swiss companies Hoffmann Neopac and Ricola in March. The three companies, where sustainability and conservation of resources are part of the corporate strategy, have joined forces to launch the first food can made of CO2-reduced packaging steel, thus making packaging even more sustainable. Up to now, the food can made of packaging steel has already stood out with recyclability of almost 100% and closed recycling cycles; now a novel manufacturing process saves a considerable amount of CO2.

In the joint project, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein supplies the CO2-reduced packaging steel, Hoffmann Neopac produces and prints the cans using solar power, and Ricola relies on energy from renewable sources for the production and filling of their herbal drops.

Use of new bluemint Steel

“By using our new bluemint Steel, CO2 emissions from can production can be significantly reduced making our product even more sustainable,” explains Dr. Peter Biele, CEO of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein. The German tinplate manufacturer produced tinplate from bluemint Steel for the first time. In the process of steel production, so-called HBI was used, i.e. already reduced sponge iron. This reduces the use of coal for the reduction process in the blast furnace. The result is a real and globally effective reduction in CO2 emissions. “This project is an important step towards achieving our climate targets.” thyssenkrupp Steel Europe has pledged to be completely climate neutral by 2045.

Can production with 100% electricity from renewable source

“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We produce our cans in Switzerland with 100% electricity from renewable sources while working on our own decarbonization program,” adds Mark Aegler, CEO of Hoffmann Neopac. This also saves CO2 in the can production.

CO2-reduced packaging as a further step towards sustainability

For us, it was important to make the packaging of our herbal drops more sustainable. That is why we are the first company in our market to use CO2-reduced food cans,” says Dr. Martin Messerli, chief operating officer of Ricola.

For decades, sustainable thinking and action have formed an important decision-making basis for Ricola’s corporate management. Since 2016, the Swiss herbal drops manufacturer has been producing with electricity from hydropower. From the Ricola Group’s point of view, the next logical step was to optimize the supply chain and the packaging of the herbal drops.

“By switching to a CO2-reduced can for our herbal drops specialties, Ricola is also responding to increased demand from consumers, who are paying more attention to the carbon footprint of their purchases,” says Messerli. The first herbal drops in the CO2-reduced can leave the factory in Laufen at the beginning of March and will be available in stores from April/May.