Market

At the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division’s eForum in June this year, much of the debate had surrounded China’s proposed “recycled material” reclassification system covering brass, copper and cast aluminium alloy imports.

As demand for compliant ship breaking facilities increases, updates to legislation will open several opportunities for compliant facilities outside of the European Union.

“The risks right now are much higher than the opportunities,” stated BIR Textiles Division President Martin Böschen of Switzerland-based TEXAID * Textilverwertungs AG in delivering his latest market summary to a divisional webinar on October 15.

New research released by technology lifecycle management provider 3stepIT has revealed that the global pandemic has rapidly accelerated the digital transformation of businesses across Europe.

Not for the first time, regulations took centre-stage in discussions hosted by the BIR Plastics Committee. Its webinar on October 14 featured an in-depth review of the implications of Basel Convention amendments entering force at the start of 2021.

It has been three years since Sir David Attenborough generated a global surge of interest in plastic pollution and recycling following the powerful series Blue Planet II, which highlighted the serious harm humans are putting marine ecosystems through – referred to now as the ‘Attenborough effect’.

In the year 2000, China was consuming around 100 million tonnes of steel per year but this figure has since soared to between 800 and 900 million tonnes.

PlasticsEurope, the Pan-European trade association representing plastics manufacturers, launched today its Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS) annual Progress Report taking stock of the advancements made by our members together with the value chain towards ending pellet loss in any environment.

VinylPlus, the Voluntary Commitment to sustainable development of the European PVC industry, brought together over 180 participants from 24 countries at the virtual VinylPlus Sustainability Forum (VSF) today.

Rolf Willeke, Statistics Advisor of the BIR Ferrous Division, summarizes below the main findings contained within his January-June 2020 update presentation to the divisional webinar taking place on October 14 2020.

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), National Waste & Recycling Association (NW&RA), and the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) have developed a Guide for Developing Lithium Battery Management Practices at Materials Recovery Facilities.