Today we make you a very special invitation, discover the benefits of tin. Tinplate is the raw material with which we elaborate our packages and we have not chosen it at random. It has many benefits and very important, for this reason, we will highlight the four that seem to us more significant. And that, in addition, they mark a major difference with respect to other types of materials used in the packaging industry such as cardboard or plastic contaminants. Harmful to the environment.
The 4 main benefits of tinplate
As soon as it appeared, tin became a very popular material. Its low price and its many uses soon made it a must. Today, it is a great alternative for the packaging sector because it is one of the most ecological and recyclable products that exist.
#1. The origin of tinplate
Tin begins to be manufactured in Germany in the 14th century. At first, it was just a tin primer that was applied on the iron to prevent it from rusting. Nowadays, there are different types of alloys that give rise to tinplate depending on what it is going to be used for. It may not be the same tinplate used in the automotive industry as the one used in packaging since it does not need to have the same qualities. However, its advantages will be the same.
Normally, it contains steel and tin. As it is mainly made with recycled materials, even with recycled tin, its production cost is low and its environmental impact is also low.
#2. The benefits of its use
It is an economical material, easy to handle and very safe, both to produce resistant packaging and for those who are in direct contact with food, which is essential for the consumer. They protect the contents from shocks, but also from excessive heat or cold. They prevent the loss of aromas and make it easier for the consumer to open and close the can several times while preserving all the properties of the product.
This can be seen, for example, in coffee, tea or tobacco. A tin can can also prevent oxygen from entering the can. If not completely, at least to a lesser extent, thus keeping products such as cookies or cakes much fresher.
#3. The second uses for your packaging
Tin cans are very attractive to the consumer because they can give them a second life once the product they contain is finished. Many people buy a first product with a tin can and then they buy another type of more economic cans to fill the can in which they keep it so that it is better preserved.
In addition, many cans become collector’s items or are already sold with features designed for future reuse, such as for carrying pencils or for storing sewing supplies at home.
#4. The recycling of tinplate
All the containers made of tinplate are recyclable. They are separated from the rest of the metals thanks to powerful electromagnets and are crushed, making both tin and steel separate in this process. With the final result it is possible to elaborate again tinplate, with an estimated saving of 70% of the energy and 40% of the water with respect to the costs of elaborating the tinplate from zero.
But steel can also be used for the purposes of this metal and tin for the production of copper. Studies conducted in 2006 indicate that 40% of steel used worldwide comes from recycled tinplate.
Tinplate can be recycled over and over again without losing its properties at all and is the material with the lowest cost, both for its collection and for the recycling process, which is why it is considered one of the most ecological.
Compared to cardboard, tinplate has the advantage of having a much longer life cycle since the containers are usually reused several times before being discarded, while cardboard containers are single-use. Sometimes, as soon as you get home, the product is removed from its interior and thrown away, as is the case with yogurt carton, for example. Moreover, it does not lose quality in the recycling process, while cardboard can only go through this process a limited number of times.
Now that you have discovered the benefits of tinplate, surely you can understand why it is such a popular material for packaging and why we at Eurobox have chosen it for our packaging.
