| BIR is an international
trade federation representing the world’s recycling
industry, covering in particular ferrous and non-ferrous
metals, paper and textiles. Plastics, rubber and tyres
are also studied and traded by some BIR members.
About 800 companies and national
federations from over 70 countries are affiliated
to BIR. Together they offer an international forum
for industrial exchange and business contacts. They
provide their expertise to other industrial sectors
and political groups in order to promote recycling.
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| It is estimated that the recycling industry employs more than 1.5 million people, annually processes over 500 million tons of commodities and has a turnover exceeding 160 billion US$. BIR members deal with materials that are diverted from the "waste" stream for the purpose of materials reuse or recycling. They deal neither with waste disposal (land filling) or with incineration or composting.
BIR’s primary goals are to promote materials recycling and recyclability, thereby conserving natural resources, protecting the environment - and facilitating free trade of recyclables in an environmentally sound manner.
As a trade organisation, BIR offers its members the opportunity to do business together, to learn the latest market developments, to know the best available recycling technologies and to be informed on the international legislative context. Through its Secretariat in Brussels, BIR offers these services only to its members.
If anyone is interested in the sectors BIR is specialised in, he can receive general information. Information reserved for members can be accessed in the "Members only" area. As a matter of principle, business contacts and price information will not be provided.
For Contact details, see the
Secretariat
Page
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A message from Mr Dominique Maguin, BIR President:
 From opulence to crisis
When one actually takes the time to analyse the current situation, it
is surprising to note how much our minds are eager to focus on the
present and the future without actually looking to understand what
mistakes we made and why we didn’t see the crisis coming.
In giving my report the title “From opulence to crisis”, I took
inspiration from two books written by the economist John Kenneth
Galbraith (1908-2006) and simply inverted his chronology given that he
published “The 1929 crisis” in 1951 and “The Era of Opulence” in 1961.
Although many may have preferred Milton Friedman (1912-2006), Galbraith
has suddenly come back into fashion.
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