It's Show Time

As summer turns to fall, recyclers around the world may be wondering what the upcoming conventions and industry gatherings will have to offer in terms of meeting with old acquaintances, making new ones and learning the latest in terms of technologies and trends.

On those fronts, recyclers should be pleased to learn that this season’s collection of shows are promising no shortage of industry resources. In October, the BIR holds its annual Autumn Round-Table Sessions in Barcelona. November brings the World Recycling Forum’s Electronics Recycling Asia Conference in Guangzhou, China, the CMRA’s 12th Secondary Metals International Forum in Beijing and the Recycling Today Media Group/Smithers Pira Paper Recycling Conference Europe in London. All these events offer meetings and forums planned so recyclers can stay in tune with peers and the latest industry trends.

BIR Autumn Round-Tables
The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) will hold its World Recycling Convention Autumn Round-table Sessions Oct. 28-30 at the Hotel Princesa Sofía in Barcelona (right).

The BIR is a global recycling industry association representing more than 850 companies and 40 affiliated federations from 70 different countries. The association describes its round-table sessions as “the most international business forum of the recycling industry.”

The event is one of two semi-annual international conventions the association holds each year, drawing close to 1,000 recyclers who come to establish new contacts and develop trade opportunities.

Like the association’s annual world convention, the Autumn Round-table sessions include plenary presentations focusing on the four commodity divisions BIR represents: nonferrous, ferrous, paper and textiles; as well as the three additional commodity committees the BIR has created: stainless steel and special alloys, plastics and tyres.

The latest technology and market developments also are presented during round-table sessions. An international environmental council session also is planned.

The event’s Welcome Reception is set for Monday evening at the Palau Nacional, the Museum of National Art of Catalonia. All registered participants and their guests are invited to attend.

Although there is no proper exhibition with stands and booths during the BIR Autumn Round-Table Sessions—except for event sponsors —BIR machine and equipment manufacturers can rent an “exhibition table” in the hospitality area next to the main plenary meeting room.

BIR also has organized a visit to a tyres recycling plant as part of the convention, for Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Paper Recycling Conferences
The Recycling Today Media Group is gearing up for two conferences in the coming fall months, the first in Chicago and the second in London (right).

The Paper Recycling Conference & Trade Show is set for Oct. 14-16, 2012, at the Marriott Downtown Chicago Magnificent Mile. This event, held in partnership with the Paper Stock Industries Chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc., is designed to bring together suppliers, consumers, equipment vendors, state and local recycling officials and other professionals affiliated with the recovered fiber industry.

It will provide a forum for networking with industry colleagues and is geared for paper recyclers as well as those handling materials such as plastics and aluminium. Workshops will address a variety of materials and issues, such as secure destruction services, paper mill trends, plastics 3-7, aluminium used beverage containers, recovery insights, sustainability, economic trends and emerging markets.

The trade show portion of the conference includes an exhibit hall with more than 60 suppliers to the paper and plastics recycling industry. Details are available at www.paperrecyclingconference.com.

Later, in November, the Recycling Today Media Group hosts Paper Recycling Conference Europe, a two-day conference held in partnership with Smithers Pira and set for Nov. 6-7.

The event, held annually since 2005, is designed to bring together the supply and consuming sides of the industry to create an active dialogue as well as trading opportunities. This year’s venue is the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel in London.

Global networking opportunities, in combination with expert analysis are the hallmarks of this show. Attendees include recovered paper merchants, brokers, consumers, mill representatives and suppliers involved in the paper recycling industry.

Key program session topics include a 2012 market overview, supply concerns, rules and restrictions, emerging markets and a “new for 2012” plastics recycling session. More information on the event is available at www.PaperRecyclingEurope.com.

“The European show is designed to reflect some of the top issues affecting all segments of the paper recycling industry in Europe,” says Dan Sandoval, senior editor of Recycling Today Global Edition, “from collection, pricing and consumption to demand and legislation.”

“Our conference organizing group has worked aggressively to bring in some of the top people in the industry,” Sandoval adds.

Sandoval notes that PRCE is designed to offer a Euro-centric focus in terms of coverage. “We want to uncover the economic issues affecting the forest products industry throughout Western Europe and beyond,” he explains.

Electronics Recycling Asia
Electronics Recycling Asia, also known as the World Recycling Forum, hosted by ICM AG, will take place Nov. 13-16, 2012, in Guangzhou, China at the Shangri-La Hotel Guangzhou.

ICM AG Congress assistant Claudia Gerstendörfer says the organization expects to draw some 300 attendees from around the world to its electronic scrap conference. Attendees will represent the buying and processing sectors.

“Speakers from all over the world will present solutions to challenges in the fields of laws and regulations as well as technology and industrial projects,” Gerstendörfer notes.

According to Gerstendörfer, the forum offers a platform for electronics recyclers to share their experiences, meet new business partners and prospective clients and also learn the latest market information.

Conference planners point out that attendees will have the opportunity to learn about upcoming Asian companies and witness the impact of Asia’s economy on the international recycling business.

A variety of industry participants, including manufacturers, processors and policymakers, will meet to discuss recycling technologies, metal and scrap trading, electronics recycling, rare earth metals recovery, market information, regulations and recycling of mercury-containing scrap during the conference.

The event includes an opening ceremony with keynote speakers and a round-table with industry leaders. Simultaneous translation into Chinese and English will be available. An integrated exhibition area, cocktail reception and networking dinner also are part of the program.

One multi-panel session, “How rare is rare earth really?” will bring together five participants to discuss rare earth metals. Participants include Christian Ekberg of Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden; Crystynna Ewe of Dell Corp., Asia Pacific and Japan; and Professor Jinhui Li of Tsinghua University, China.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend two of seven scheduled plant tours of recycling companies, including electronics dismantling plant Mingjie Resources in Foshan, plastics recycling plant Kingfa Science & Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, and plastics recycler MBA Polymers China, Guangzhou.

More information is available at www.icm.ch.