| India had proved to be a particularly strong market for stainless steel scrap over recent months but mills’ buying interest had waned owing to difficulties in selling their finished stainless products against a backdrop of weak global demand. So said Jonathan Bower of ELG Haniel Metals in presenting his summary of latest market developments worldwide to the BIR Stainless Steel & Special Alloys Committee meeting in Berlin.

| Container security and an update on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership were the headline topics of the first plenary meeting of the BIR International Trade Council (ITC) to take place under the chairmanship of Michael Lion of China-based Everwell Resources Ltd.

| According to a recent ASSOCHAM-cKinetics study, India's electronic waste (e-waste) generated per year is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30%, rising from 1.8 million metric tonnes at present to 5.2 million by 2020.

| The recent surge in ferrous scrap prices “did not last long enough to adequately repair the collection system”, the latest meeting of the BIR Ferrous Division was told by its President, William Schmiedel of Sims Metal Management in the USA. As a result, he added, there was little evidence of supply overhang in the market.

| Doppstadt showed a variety of new machines at Ifat.

| With paper recycling companies remaining under extreme economic and regulatory pressure, “there is no room for a further deterioration”, the BIR Paper Divison meeting in Berlin was warned by its President, Reinhold Schmidt of Recycling Karla Schmidt.

| The non-ferrous metals recycling industry should focus on its strengths of sorting, processing and logistics rather than on trying to second-guess price movements, it was argued by European Metal Recycling’s Murat Bayram at the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division meeting in Berlin.

| BIR is spearheading the formation of a new body “to take forward the message of facilitating free and fair trade of recyclables with minimum regulatory controls”, it was announced at the body’s Annual General Assembly in Berlin on May 31.

| The Bühler Group has announced the Sortex E PolyVision that can identify same-colour polymer contaminants by analysing their chemical signatures.

| The main emphasis was on its quick-change system for twin-shaft shredders and the resultant adaptability to the materials to be processed, as demonstrated by the Miura and Atlas machines.

| To help tough recycling and waste applications maintain efficiency, Hyster offers a forklift truck specifically designed to prevent the common problem of engines overheating due to dust, dirt and debris.

| The UAE Ministry of Economy is discussing possible ways to reduce its export of industrial aluminium, leather and paper waste, so that it may provide raw materials for its own industry.

| The US National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER) and Sustainability Consortium have released a report on electronic and electrical management and future challenges in waste management in the US, as commissioned by the Closed Loop Fund.

| Zhejiang Lvyu Environment Protection and Zhejiang Jiaren New Materials, two companies in China's Zhejiang province, have pledged support to Paojiang New District to build the largest textile waste recycling base in the country.

| The WCO – Board of Directors unanimously elected Mr. Clemens Willée, as Chairman of the Board.