As the European Union seeks to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for packaging through the gradual implementation of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) [1], zamak is well positioned to meet the requirements of this evolving framework.
On the one hand, zamak can be recycled and reused indefinitely, without loss of quality, to produce new components, including caps, decorative elements, and technical parts. On the other, since last autumn, zamak has been officially recognized as a recyclable material by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). “It benefits from an identified and mapped European recycling sector, validated by producer compliance schemes Citeo and Léko,” explains Claire Trescartes, Executive Director of Segede Industrie, a French company which worked with several industry stakeholders to secure official recognition of zamak’s recyclability.
Properties identical to those of primary zamak
Once sorted and separated, zamak waste undergoes several processing stages (including cleaning, melting, alloy preparation, and ingot production) before being returned to industrial use. Among the companies specializing in zinc alloy recycling and production, Luxembourg-based REAZN Group (note: other European players include French company Genlis Métal and Italy’s S. Erasmo Zinkal) produces zamak ingots containing at least 93% recycled material, with the option of reaching 100% upon request.
The company, whose plant is located in Kruisem, Belgium, aims to produce zamak made exclusively from recycled zinc for the European market within the next ten years, eliminating the use of primary zinc.
“The production of recycled zinc is far less resource-intensive than that of primary zinc: less than 100 liters of water and less than 0.35 MWh of electricity are needed per ton, compared with approximately 70,000 liters of water and at least 4 MWh for a ton of primary zinc,” says Claude Bever, CEO of REAZN. “Using secondary raw materials reduces our reliance on mined zinc. The benefits are both industrial and environmental,” adds Jean Gouverneyre, founder and co-CEO of the group.
The recycled zamak ingots are then used by companies such as Segede Industrie to manufacture perfume bottle caps and more complex components, such as purse sprayers. These applications meet “the same high quality standards as primary zamak,” says Claire Trescartes.
Available volumes, today and tomorrow?
Far from being in its infancy, the recycled zamak sector already benefits from multiple sources of supply. “Industrial waste accounts for a significant share of the volumes we process, but we also recycle waste from household sorting and the glass recycling sector, including zippers, buttons, perfume bottle caps, and other small metal components,” explains Claude Bever. “Zamak caps, for example, generally enter the glass recycling stream because they remain attached to the bottle. They are then separated from the cullet using eddy-current separators before being sent to a refiner such as REAZN,” adds Claire Trescartes.
In 2019, nearly 247 million tons of zinc were already contained in products in use worldwide, representing a vast global “urban mine.” According to data from the International Zinc Association published in 2022, this stock could reach nearly 490 million tons by 2050. “This urban mine represents a considerable resource for the future of zinc and zamak recycling. Developing it is both an environmental and strategic challenge for Europe, which faces the depletion of mineral resources. It will also enable companies to reduce their exposure to fluctuations in zinc prices,” emphasizes Jean Gouverneyre.
For REAZN, the ten-year objective for zamak is to achieve a fully closed-loop production cycle by progressively reducing the use of primary zinc until it is completely eliminated from the alloys. For brands, such a model could significantly reduce their reliance on primary zinc, secure access to high-quality recycled and recyclable material, and improve control over the environmental footprint of their packaging.
