Benelux

According to a report published by OVAM, the public waste agency of Flanders, Flemish people were responsible for generating roughly 416 kg per capita of waste in 2022. This represents a drop of 55 kg compared to 2021 but is still a high number, even if the majority is collected selectively and properly recycled.

The general situation within the Benelux has not changed much since the previous Mirror. The slowdown has continued and industrial facilities are generating less scrap - partly related to a more sustainable approach and partly to overall demand for their products. With manufacturing, housing and automotive down, order books remain thin. Interest rates continue to be high and so loans become more expensive, resulting in lower levels of investment by companies, the government and consumers. This has the potential to delay the green energy transition.

This situation is reflected in the recycling industry. An outsider wanting an update on how the economy is performing should simply look at how our industry is doing: at best, it could be said that trade in non-ferrous metals is calm. The drop in the various commodity markets is not very supportive and suppliers are in no rush to sell material, if they have any.

Through the grapevine, it is suggested that ferrous is also under pressure. This will not improve the outlook for non-ferrous in the short term.