DIVE DEEPER:

• The first form of tin alloy, bronze, was used at scale as early as 3000 BC, ultimately ushering in the Bronze Age.

• The tin can, however, was not patented until 1810. British merchant Peter Durand created the patent after experimenting with various methods of food preservation. It was first used on a commercial scale, in 1813, to feed troops in the British Army, after the patent was bought and commercialised by Bryan Donkin and John Hall.

• 35 countries mine tin across the world, with leading sources, including China, Myanmar, Bolivia, Peru, Indonesia and Brazil. Around 40% of tin comes from artisanal and small scale operations.

• Tinplate is far more widely used than tin. In 2019, approximately nine million metric tonnes of tinplate was produced. In comparison, in 2021, 378,400 tonnes of tin was produced.

• Because tin is infinitely recyclable and highly recycled, luxury brands in particular have turned to products made from tinplate in recent years. Luxury tea company Newby, coffee brand Lay Day and haircare brand Ludlow Blunt, have all created nostalgic, keepsake tins for their products – not only encouraging recycling but long-term reuse.

• Tinplate is highly recyclable. A tinplate food can has a recyclability rate of 95% and in Europe, tinplate reached a recycling rate of 84% in 2019, with regulators proposing a target of 92% by 2030. This is helped by the fact that tin is magnetic and can be easily extracted in the waste stream.

• Like many metals, the production of virgin tin is energy intensive. It is smelted with carbon at temperatures of up to 2500 degrees Fahrenheit, producing the most basic form of tin and CO2 gas. It is then refined through boiling, liquidation or electrolytic methods.

• However, an LCA by the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL) says that producing one kilogram of tinplate today emits 2.33 kilograms of CO2, which equates to 2330 per tonne. By comparison, aluminium produces approximately 13,000 kilograms per tonne.

• Greater efficiency in the production of metals and metal products means emissions are much lower than they were in previous decades, and using recycled metal can reduce emissions and resource use even further. Some estimate that recycling tin can save 2,600kWh of energy per tonne, on average.

• A number of programmes and organisations exist to promote and oversee the responsible extraction and production of tin, including the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative (ITSCI), Responsible Tin Supply and the Responsible Minerals Initiative.