Paper Recycling Conference & Trade Show: World Stage

The world economy is undergoing significant change, and with it, so are the industries that deal in recycled commodities, according to Don Reynolds of 21^st Century Forecasting, an economist and futurist who addressed attendees at the opening general session of the co-located Paper Recycling Conference & Trade Show, Recycling Today’s Plastics Recycling Conference & Trade Show and the inaugural Electronics Recycling Conference & Trade Show held recently in Orlando.

“Your industry is going through a tremendous amount of change,” Reynolds said. In regards to paper specifically, he pointed out the disparity between U.S. and Chinese production capacity, adding that as 35 mills in the U.S. have closed in the last five years, China is expected to bring 42 mills online in the next five years.

Understanding long-term events and the global economy can help recyclers develop a pro-active strategy to deal with change and remain successful, Reynolds said.

The fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of China as an economic and manufacturing power have been two of the most significant developments in the world economy, according to Reynolds. The Soviet Union’s decline created some 3 billion new capitalistic consumers, he said, adding that developing nations will only continue to grow. Reynolds said China is expected to replace Germany as the world’s third largest economy in 15 years and is on pace to eventually replace the United States as the world’s largest economy.

However, China’s staggering growth is not problem-free, Reynolds added. The country will have to deal with a vastly male and aging population. Reynolds said that the average age in the country will rise from 32 to 38 in the next 15 years. China is also home to 16 of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world, he said.

India is also a rising star on the world economic stage, Reynolds said. As the world’s largest democracy, India’s economy has grown by between 7 and 8 percent, according to Reynolds, in spite of some bureaucratic problems and utility power shortages.

Korea, Thailand and a democratizing Latin American region are also areas of economic growth to watch, Reynolds said.

In the nearer term, Reynolds said the world economy could be in for a slowdown in the wake of the United States’ 2008 presidential election, which follows not long after the conclusion of the Olympic Games hosted by Beijing, which Reynolds said could be a prime time for a slowdown in China’s economy as well.

The Paper Recycling Conference & Trade Show, Recycling Today’s Plastics Recycling Conference & Trade Show and the Electronics Recycling Conference & Trade Show were held June 10-12 at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando. More information is available at www.RecyclingTodayEvents.com.