What is BIR  |  Informing decision makers  |  BIR officers  |  Organigramme

Founded in 1948, BIR is a non-profit-making, non-governmental organisation financed by annual membership dues paid by its 42 affiliated national sectoral federations and by some 600 member companies which are active in the collection, processing, transportation and recycling of materials which are diverted from the waste stream.

BIR is made up of commodity divisions and committees that are responsible for the management of the organisation in close collaboration with the General Secretariat, which is located in Brussels.

Ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, paper and textiles were the four founder commodity divisions of BIR. Since then, BIR has set up a very successful Stainless Steel and Special Alloys Committee, a Plastics Committee and a Tyres Committee. Horizontally the Environment Committee monitors the implications of environmental legislation for the recycling industry throughout the world and helps its members to implement them.

BIR keeps its members informed of all legal, commercial and technical developments in the recycling sector. It maintains close contact with major supranational bodies such as the European Union, the OECD, ICC, UNCTAD, UNEP, Customs Cooperation Council and CEN, and keeps these bodies informed of BIR's achievements in the recycling and environmental sectors.

Founded on the eve of the creation of the Benelux, BIR took on the mission of attempting to secure a change of any regulation (duties, quotas, etc.) which unnecessarily hinders international trade in primary as well as secondary raw materials. Over the years BIR expanded its scope of action as a result of environmental legislation.

BIR’s action of informing and shaping the views of decision- and opinion-makers has been stepped up considerably during the past few years.

As a result, waste management legislation now makes a distinction between waste intended for recovery and waste intended for disposal. Yet, ‘secondary materials’, i.e. all materials recovered by our industry and then prepared and processed according to strict specifications for conversion into new products, are not clearly defined.

BIR's ultimate objective is to see ‘secondary materials’ recognized as products. To this end, BIR has increased contacts with associations representing the consumers of our commodities, such as the metallurgical industries, paper mills, the textiles industry, plastics and rubber manufacturers. All these consumers are concerned about the risk of their supply line being cut as a result of ill-conceived legislation on waste management which does not make a clear distinction between waste and secondary raw materials, i.e. our industry end-products.

BIR President: Dominique Maguin - Veolia Propreté France Recycling (FRA)
BIR Treasurer: Anthony P. Bird - The Bird Group of Companies Ltd. (GBR)
BIR Director General: Francis Veys - BIR (BEL)

The BIR Divisions and Committees are chaired by prominent members of the world recycling industry.

Ferrous Division President: Christian Rubach, Interseroh Hansa Recycling GmbH (DEU)
Non-Ferrous Division President: Robert Stein, Alter Trading (USA)
Paper Division President: Ranjit S. Baxi, J&H Sales International Ltd. (GBR)
Textiles Division President: Olaf Rintsch, Textil Recycling K & A Wenkhaus GmbH (DEU)
Stainless Steel Special Alloys Committee: Michael Wright, ELG Haniel Metals Ltd. (GBR)
Plastic Committee: Surendra Borad, Gemini Corporation N.V. (BEL)
Tyres Committee: Barend Ten Bruggencate (NLD)

Rules, By-Laws, Arbitration: Larry Sax, Leghe & Metalli International Srl (ITA)
Nominating: Hans-Erik Hempel-Hansen, H.J. Hansen Genvindingsindustri A/S (DNK)
Finance: Anthony P. Bird, The Bird Group of Companies Ltd. (GBR)
Membership: Michael Lion Sims Group Ltd (AUS)
Convention: Robert Voss, Voss International Ltd (GBR)
Communication: Andreas Wahl , Newell Recycling of Atlanta Inc. (USA)
Young Traders: Caroline Craenhals, Belgian Scrap Terminal NV (BEL)
Intenational Environment Council: Alvaro Rodriguez, Energis S.A. (ESP)
Special Projects: Mark Sellier, Capricorn Stainless (ZAF)