Recycling: There is Money in it – at all Stages

Recycling is becoming increasingly relevant for the circular economy as an rising number of countries recognize its benefits for both economies and the climate. From collection, transport and sorting to recycling and recirculation based on the trade of secondary raw materials – companies involved in the recycling industry can make money. That applies also to the production sector. By using recycled materials and manufacturing products with the principle of design for recycling, the industry not only can achieve revenues, recycling also generates environmental benefits.

In May this year, the Bureau of International Recycling’s (BIR) World Recycling Convention & Exhibition stressed the importance of the recycling sector, as the event was characterized by more than one as “milestone”. The organizers registered 1,500 delegates (a sell-out and the largest ever attendance), the membership numbers are at a historic high of almost 1,000 (about 70 countries are represented through their national trade associations and individual companies), and the global federation of the recycling industries celebrated its 75th anniversary in Amsterdam where BIR was founded. But the focus at the event has been “on a modern, connected future which puts international recycling at the heart of the circular and global economy”.

The importance of recycling is indicated, for instance, by the need for critical raw materials. According to a survey conducted by the Swedish Chalmers University of Technology and Swiss EMPA on behalf of the European Commission, as more and more electric cars are traveling on the roads of Europe, this is leading to an increase in the use of the critical metals required for components such as electric motors and electronics. “With the current raw material production levels there will not be enough of these metals in the future – not even if recycling increases,” the university stated. The solution: more recycling as well as other measures to deal with the situation. At the meeting of the BIR International Environment Council, the security of supply regarding critical raw materials was an important topic (page 30). Globally, there are also initiatives: an extraction plant in Canada (Page 21) and a pilot recycling plant in Singapore (page 38), for example.

Circular economy is gaining ground in the construction sector as well. At the trade fair BAU 2023 in Munich, about 190,000 visitors informed themselves about the innovations and trends of the 2,260 exhibitors from 49 countries (page 31). And the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) has launched a new branch (page 32). The companies Sennebogen (page 40) and Kleemann (page 48) offer machines for recycling purposes, inter alia.

We hope you get a lot of new and useful information from reading this current magazine.

Yours, Brigitte Weber