Sika relies on CO2-reduced Packaging Steel -Collaboration and innovative packaging in the name of sustainability and performance

Sika is collaborating with packaging steel manufacturer Muhr & Söhne GmbH & Co.KG and thyssenKrupp Rasselstein GmbH, Germany, to use tinplate made of bluemint®packaging steel with an increased proportion of scrap in the balance sheet. The use of this CO2-reduced packaging steel for practical containers with side handles, so-called tinplate hobbocks, is expected to save 1.53 metric tons of CO2-eq per metric ton of material in Germany, Austria and the USA. This corresponds to a 62 percent reduction in tinplate production compared to conventional steel.

The sustainable packaging project is based on a joint commitment by Sika, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein and Muhr & Söhne, a German manufacturer of metal packaging solutions. The CO2 reduction is achieved by using a high percentage of recycled steel scrap in the production of bluemint® recycled, which replaces a large part of the iron ore and coking coal in the blast furnace.

 "By using the new bluemint® recycled steel, CO2 emissions in the production of tinplate hobbocks can be significantly reduced," explains Dr. Peter Biele, CEO of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein, "and makes tinplate even more sustainable."

The specific emissions for the material are externally confirmed and certified by TÜV SÜD. Packaging steel also leads the field in Europe in terms of recycling rates: 85.5% of tinplate packaging is recycled. This makes tinplate packaging the most recycled packaging in Europe.

bluemint® recycled is processed into the tinplate hobbocks by Sika supplier Muhr & Söhne, Germany. For Klaus Wilmes, General Manager of Muhr & Söhne, sustainable packaging today should always be seen in the context of social responsibility: "We are consistently committed to preserving the natural foundations of life for future generations. For example, we use a patented design to produce tinplate pails with significantly reduced material input and comparatively high performance and have thus been conserving resources for many years."

For the year 2023, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein will provide 3,000 metric tons of bluemint® recycled steel. The savings amount to 4,590 metric tons of CO2 equivalents. Sika is the first blue chip company in its industry to use bluemint® packaging steel.

"The collaboration focuses on combining sustainability benefits, increasing packaging performance, and helping to drive customer value."

Olaf Hedwig, Global Category Manager at Sika

About thyssenkrupp Rasselstein

thyssenkrupp Rasselstein GmbH is one of the world's leading suppliers of high-quality packaging steel manufactured with precision. At the site in Andernach, Germany - the world's largest production facility of its kind - 1.5 million metric tons of packaging steel are manufactured annually. 2,400 employees serve approximately 400 customers in 80 countries in a variety of markets - from manufacturers of food and pet food cans, to producers of beverage and aerosol cans, containers for chemical-technical filling goods, as well as crown corks and twist-off caps. 

About Muhr & Söhne

Muhr & Söhne GmbH & Co.KG is a specialist for hazardous goods packaging made of steel and tinplate. On a production area of over 50,000 m² with more than 20 production lines, we manufacture drums in 12 different nominal diameters for filling quantities of 1 to 250 liters and employ around 240 people at three production sites in Attendorn (NRW) and Ohrdruf (Thuringia).