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After lengthy negotiations at the Environmental Council Meeting, national governments chose short-term political convenience over scientific integrity, environmental safety, and societal responsibility, by failing to uphold a loophole-free domestic 90% net target – the bare minimum recommended by scientists.

In 2023, 11.6 kg of electrical and electronic equipment waste (WEEE or e-waste) was officially collected per inhabitant in the EU compared with the 32.2 kg of new electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) per person put on the market.

The BIR World Recycling Convention in Bangkok hosted a spirited discussion on 28 October, with industry leaders navigating the trade barriers in a fragmented global market and emphasising the critical importance of free trade.

Free and fair trade around the world is a challenging principle to defend when sectors such as Europe’s struggling recycled plastics industry are appealing for protection, a senior member of the Bureau of International Recycling has told its Convention in Bangkok, Thailand.

Pioneering recyclers of rubber in Asia took centre stage at the BIR World Recycling Convention in Bangkok on 28 October. Their case studies highlighted the potential for valuable, closed loop solutions for the challenging material. The emphasis on adding value while delivering sustainability credentials increasingly sought by OEMs and brands came during the session for BIR’s Tyres and Rubber Committee.

China’s decision to implement new requirements on the import of ‘dry pulp’ is causing “big challenges” for processors in Thailand, the BIR World Recycling Convention in Bangkok heard.

A research project by ETH Zurich in cooperation with BASF SE has examined a new recycling pathway for mixed plastic waste from end-of-life vehicles. The study explored the joint recycling of automotive shredder residue and biomass through gasification.

Lindner has unveiled the Micromat IV, the fourth generation of its single-shaft shredders for plastics recycling. The new series features an energy-efficient drive system with 97 % efficiency and a modular rotor design that allows quick changes between pointed and step knives – providing high material flexibility for a wide range of input streams.

BIR is joining forces with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to develop the next issue of the Global E-Waste Monitor – “the textbook for end-of-life electronics policy”. BIR says the partnership will bring global visibility to the true impact of electronics recycling.

The transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the day-to-operations of ferrous metal recyclers has been spelled out at BIR’s World Recycling Convention in Bangkok. AI was the theme of the Ferrous Division session on 28 October with the message that smaller businesses can gain as much as their bigger competitors.

“Challenging” and “uncertain” were words used to describe the state of the global stainless steel markets at the BIR World Recycling Convention in Bangkok, Thailand.

Regulators, producers and brand owners were called on to “step up” their commitments to plastic recycling and a circular economy at the BIR’s World Recycling Convention in Bangkok.