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BIR Malaga to Examine Waste Rules and Scrap Trade Risks
The Bureau of International Recycling will bring policy specialists and industry representatives together in Malaga to examine how waste-shipment rules, e-waste regulation and critical-mineral trade restrictions are reshaping recycled-material flows and global supply chains.
Key Points
- Session: BIR's International Environment Council meets October 26 from 12:00-13:00 during the World Recycling Convention & Exhibition in Malaga.
- EU Waste Shipment Regulation: Speakers will examine implications for recycled-material exports to non-OECD countries and international market access.
- E-waste: Basel Convention amendments and their impact on non-ferrous metal flows will be reviewed.
- Critical Minerals: U.S. trade restrictions involving materials including black mass and tungsten will be discussed.
- Industry Focus: The session will connect environmental policy with supply-chain security and recycling competitiveness.
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) will bring together policy specialists and industry representatives at its World Recycling Convention & Exhibition in Malaga, Spain, to examine how evolving environmental regulation and trade policy are affecting global recycling markets.
The International Environment Council session, scheduled for October 26 from 12:00 to 13:00, will examine regulatory developments across the European Union, United Nations, OECD and United States, with particular attention to recycled-material flows, international market access and supply-chain security.
EU Waste Shipment Rules Take Centre Stage
Olivier François, Chairman of BIR's International Environment Council and moderator of the session, will review recent developments surrounding the European Union's Waste Shipment Regulation and the broader regulatory environment facing recyclers.
Alexandra Vartan, BIR Trade & Environment Policy Officer, will address the international dimension of the regulation, including BIR's response to the European Commission's draft list of non-OECD countries authorized to receive certain non-hazardous waste streams from the EU.
The discussion will also consider the potential implications of restrictions affecting exports of ferrous and non-ferrous recycled metals to key non-OECD markets, including the effects on established supply chains, international market access and recycling-industry competitiveness.
Basel Convention Changes Could Affect Non-Ferrous Flows
Alev Somer, BIR Trade & Environment Director, will provide an update on amendments to the UN Basel Convention governing electronic-waste shipments and their potential impact on non-ferrous metal flows.
The presentation will also examine developments involving critical raw materials as sustainability policy, strategic autonomy and security of supply become increasingly connected.
U.S. Critical-Mineral Trade Restrictions in Focus
Adam Shaffer, Vice President of International Trade and Global Affairs at ReMA, will provide a U.S. perspective on recent trade restrictions involving critical minerals, including black mass and tungsten.
The discussion will examine how policy priorities are increasingly expanding beyond environmental objectives to include supply-chain resilience, strategic materials and national-security considerations.
Regulation Becomes a Supply-Chain Issue for Recyclers
BIR said the speakers will connect developments across different regulatory systems and assess where environmental policy is heading and what recyclers should be monitoring.
The International Environment Council forms part of the BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition, which runs October 25-27 at the FYCMA Trade Fairs and Congress Centre in Malaga.
