The 2026 BIR International Recycling Conference opens in Gothenburg, Sweden
The BIR International Recycling Conference 2026 (June 1–3), which opened on June 1st at the Gothia Tower in Gothenburg, Sweden, was held here for the first time in about 50 years, kicking off on the iconic stage of a city that combines its history as an industrial city with advanced sustainability policies. This time, more than 1,700 participants from over 800 companies across 57 countries participated. Due to the tense situation between the U.S. and Iran, airlines are restricting flights in some regions, raising concerns about the impact on participants, but a surge of applications just before the conference ultimately exceeded initial expectations.
In addition to 39 company booths, the exhibition hall will feature an "AI Corner" introducing corporate presentation stages and AI recycling solutions, allowing visitors to experience the industry's trends of digitalization and advancement.
In her opening remarks, BIR Chair Susie Burrage reported on organizational progress such as focusing on finance, advocacy, and global membership expansion, as well as the fact that her LinkedIn followers exceeded 20,000, the publication of the 2025 annual report and the World Statistics on Scrap Iron, among other highlights. Additionally, progress was announced on the "BIR Academy" video series, developed to share practical knowledge and best practices, introducing new learning tools such as materials explaining LME fundamentals and the "Yes We Can" video for Global Recycling Day. Additionally, Burrage stated that the next BIR conference will be held in Europe. Of the BIR conferences held twice a year in spring and autumn, it is customary for the autumn to take place in cities outside Europe. This year, they had decided on Bahrain, but considering the current situation in the Middle East, they suddenly chose Malaga, located in southern Spain.
keynote speaker FrederiK Haren will take the stage focusing on "creativity," "curiosity," and "sustainability," focusing on rapid change.
The unleashing of creativity in the age of transformation was discussed. The speaker defined creativity as "the process of combining existing things to create something better and newer," pointing out that creation is a kind of "recycling," and that people involved in the recycling industry inherently have mindsets suited to creative thinking.
The key to supporting creativity was emphasized as "Radical Positivity," "Copying Right" (copying correctly rather than so-called copywriting), and "curiosity" as a trainable skill. First, the approach of setting aside negative thoughts and focusing on finding valuable ideas was introduced, emphasizing the importance of "Copying Right," which involves improving and developing ideas not just by imitating excellent ideas worldwide but by adapting to one's own context.
Haren's message is a call for each participant to see this conference hall as a "laboratory of curiosity," to learn from others from diverse backgrounds, and to recombine that knowledge with their own experiences to create more creative outcomes in both business and sustainability aspects.
In a discussion by the International Trade Council, the focus was on the copper and aluminum recycling market, with Robin Wiener from the U.S. Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) raising concerns about policies that are heavily focused on trade regulations.
He first summarized the twists and turns of tariffs and export controls in the United States, pointing out that what actually drives industry is not the tariffs themselves, but the 'fundamental conditions' of the market and domestic investment. Citing cases such as clarifying the scope of tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives, the withdrawal of IEEPA tariffs, the transition to a 10% global tariff, and the stalled export control proposals for copper and aluminum, he noted that while policies have fluctuated, industries have adapted based on demand, price, and technological capability.
The rationale cited for this was the structural "surplus" of recycled metals in the United States. For at least the past 15 years, recycled copper has been about 3.5 times domestic consumption, and recycled aluminum about 4.5 times the supply oversupply, making the logic of securing resources through export controls weak. At the same time, the export ratio of processed recycled resources has dropped to 22%, indicating that strong domestic demand and investment expansion since 2022 have absorbed scrap, and argued that market integration and investment promotion are the key factors in enhancing supply security.
Fernando Acosta of ICSG predicted, based on data from the International Copper Research Group, that by around 2050, scrap will cover 30–50% of copper demand, and the market size could reach $1.7–2 trillion. On the other hand, it also warned that if trade restrictions are introduced, it will lose its efficiency and hinder long-term investment.
Matthias Rapapart of Stena Metal International criticized the current situation in the EU, where strengthened green agenda-related laws—especially the Waste Transfer Regulation (WSR)—have led to valuable scrap being considered 'waste' and hindering access to international markets, and argued that profits are what support investment in advanced sorting and preprocessing facilities.
Summing up these discussions, Wiener reaffirmed the importance of "open market access" and "policy predictability" in the circular economy. Furthermore, he stated that the global trade network connects surplus scrap with demand, while simultaneously creating incentives for capital investment and technological innovation. Finally, he warned that excessive lockdown, including restrictions on aluminum scrap exports, would actually jeopardize the EU Green Deal and net-zero targets.
The afternoon program was followed by sessions by the iron and shredder divisions. Details of each session will be reported separately.
The customary network dinner on the first night was held at Gothenburg's largest amusement park in Scandinavia. Along with meals, participants can enjoy attractions inside the park, including a wooden roller coaster, in an unprecedented setting.
Archive: 2026 June BIR World Recycling Convention& Exhibition
Y.SCHANZ from Gotherburg, Sweden