Market

| Aluminium company Hydro and Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) have signed an agreement for Hydro to take over RTA's share of the aluminium smelter Sør-Norge Aluminium AS (Søral) in Norway.

| The Navy awarded a contract to International Shipbreaking Limited of Brownsville, Texas, for the towing, dismantling and recycling of conventionally powered aircraft carrier Constellation.

| Nearly 70% of UK's energy-from-waste plants run with Metso's automation solutions.

| Concern is growing over widespread plastic waste that is threatening marine life – with conservative yearly estimates of $13 billion in financial damage to marine ecosystems, according to two reports issued at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly.

| Extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes have gained significant traction in France but, in their current form, pose a number of risks for recycling companies, the BIR International Environment Council (IEC) meeting in Miami was told by Alfred Rosales, Executive Director of French recycling federation FEDEREC.

| Volumes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are rising rapidly - especially in emerging countries - and yet “there is not really a level playing field” when it comes to treatment standards, it was alleged at the latest BIR E-Scrap Committee meeting by Volker Pawlitzki, Senior Vice President of the Recycling/Precious Metals Business Unit of major Germany-based refiner Aurubis.

| America’s end-of-life tyre (ELT) landscape has been transformed over the last 20 years or so, the BIR Tyres & Rubber Committee meeting in Miami was informed by Charles Astafan, General Manager of US-based tyre recycling equipment manufacturer Columbus McKinnon.

| The BIR Convention in Miami had attracted more than 1200 participants from 63 countries - “a great achievement given the still very difficult market conditions”, World President Björn Grufman of Sweden-based Metallvärden AB told the world recycling organisation’s General Assembly.

| Harsh weather conditions, theft and declining prices are some of the challenges the textile recycling industry has to face.

| The company announced that they have reached a recovery ratio of 97,2% in Automobile Shredder Residue (ASR) und 99,5% in end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), which leads to a net surplus of more than 800,000,000 yen

| The production facility in Nowa Ruda, Poland, for emission control catalysts used in cars and trucks, will be Umicore's first industrial operation in Poland and complements Umicore's existing European automotive catalyst production capabilities in Germany, France and Sweden.

| Luis Torres from Sunpower was confirmed new President of the European take-back and recycling association.

| The report covers the five-year period from 2009 to 2013.

| At Turkey's second-largest harbor, a 835 R crawler helps increasing productivity by handling up to 5000 tonnes per day.