BIR Home Page
EU Waste Shipment Regulations as of 12 July 2007
Düsseldorf, (29) 30-31 October 2008 - Autumn Round-Table Sessions
Website last updated: 4-jul-2008   
Welcome to BIR
 
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.

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

A message from Mr Dominique Maguin, BIR President:

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

Almost a year after my election as BIR President in Athens, I would like to take this opportunity to paint a picture of our formidable organisation and share with you my ambitions and projects for improving the organisation’s visibility for the benefit of its members and for those who observe us in a world full of change.

Our activities are undergoing unprecedented growth and the attractiveness of our sector has never been as strong as it is today – not only from the perspective of the consumers of the raw materials that we produce but also among international politicians, NGOs and large waste management companies which, through a capillary reaction, are getting ever closer to our sector and are even taking over some of our companies in order to gain an indispensable professional know-how of our activities.

The consuming industries, the political world, the NGOs and traditional waste management operators - these four forces oblige us to perform even better and, in particular, push us to become even more professional and more transparent.

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