It is with deep sadness that the Bureau of International Recycling announces the passing of Mr Alfred Arnold Nijkerk, a towering figure in the global recycling community and one of the most respected voices in our industry’s history.
Mr Nijkerk was not only a witness to BIR’s history but one of its makers. As the only living recycler to have been present at the founding of BIR in Amsterdam almost eight decades ago, he remained a steadfast supporter of our organisation and its mission throughout his life.
A graduate in law from Leiden University in 1954, Mr Nijkerk joined the family company in Amsterdam two years later, becoming the sixth generation to enter the Nijkerk family scrap business, established in 1823. Over a remarkable 52-year career, he played a central role in advancing the scrap and ship dismantling sectors, later becoming Chairman of the Shell-Billiton Recycling Division. His leadership extended across numerous industry bodies — he served as President of the Dutch Metal Recycling Federation (MRF) for seven years, spending 26 consecutive years as President of the Dutch Scrap Association, and held several key roles within BIR, including Vice President of the Ferrous Division, Vice President of the Shredder and Stainless Steel Committees, and Chairman of the PR Committee.
Mr Nijkerk was also a prolific communicator and educator. He founded Magazine Recycling Benelux in 1966, serving as Chief Editor for more than 25 years, and authored the influential Handbook of Recycling Techniques (1995), sold in 86 countries. Since 1998, he contributed regular market reports on ferrous and stainless steel scrap to Recycling International magazine and tapped into his vast knowledge of BIR and the recycling industry at large for the publication of the organisation’s 60th anniversary brochure and the history of recycling ‘Recycling through the ages’, both available on the BIR website.
In 1992, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands knighted Mr Nijkerk in recognition of his outstanding service to industry and society. He proudly attended his 100th BIR Convention in Milan in 2005 and was made an Honorary Member of our organisation in 2008, marking a lifetime of dedication to the global recycling family.
BIR pays tribute to Mr Nijkerk’s exceptional contributions, his pioneering spirit and his unwavering belief in the power of recycling to shape a better world. He will be remembered with deep respect and gratitude by colleagues and friends across generations.
