A record 7.2 million metric tons of steel cans were recycled by 37 reporting countries in 2007 according to a report released today by the Brussels-based World Steel Association (worldsteel). That number equates to a recycling rate of 68 percent, up slightly from 67 percent in 2006.

“Our data shows that steel recycling is well established in almost all regions of the world,” said Julie Renner, chairwoman of worldsteel’s Committee on Packaging, in a press release. “Not only is the recycling rate increasing in developed countries such as the United States and Canada but it is also going up in emerging markets such as Brazil and Turkey. This is good for the environment because steel is 100 percent recyclable and it shows that consumers are contributing to the reduction of energy use and CO2 emissions by choosing and recycling steel packaging.”

The complete report breaks out data by country and region.