The first BIR World Recycling Convention under the recently elected President Susie Burrage OBE welcomed attendees.
The convention opened with a keynote address by analyst Matthew Griffin, followed by an impressive keynote session entitled "BIR - 75 and Beyond".
The keynote address by foresight expert Matthew Griffin set the scene for an in-depth look into a future shaped by factors such as artificial intelligence, technological advancement and globalisation.
Griffin said: 'When thinking about the future, it is vital to think about the present. Our world consumes a staggering 100 billion tonnes of resources every year, but only 8.4% of these resources are recycled. To tackle this crisis, Matthew is taking a multi-pronged approach that includes innovations such as cellular forestry, 3D printing that reduces resource consumption by up to 80%, eco-friendly materials and advanced metadata and labelling for efficient material identification. Designing products with minimal resource use, implementing regulations to tackle issues such as e-waste, educating consumers for responsible consumption, holding polluters accountable for their actions and adopting circular economy principles, ethical capitalism and zero waste policies are all part of its vision. A comprehensive strategy is essential to address resource depletion and environmental concerns holistically.'
Future prospects for ferrous scrap were assessed
After a turbulent 2022, the first quarter of this year brought a sigh of relief, partly because a mild winter eased the energy crisis in Europe and banking concerns in the US and Switzerland did not turn into a full-blown disaster.
But then the recycled steel market plummeted by 20 per cent and has been hovering around these lows for several months now due to slow demand fuelled by economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
He spoke at the BIR Iron Division meeting in Abu Dhabi on 23 October to hear industry experts assess the current state of the recycled steel industry and where the future may lead.
Davide Braga, who started as Global Capital Equipment Sales Executive for Danieli Centro Recycling (Italy) and has been Technical Sales Product Manager for the same Group since 2012, presented "The worldwide evolution of recycled steel quality requirements with new steelmaking demand".
Kedar Joshi, Asia Market Manager at Canada-based Davis Index, a BIR member company that provides price benchmarks for recycled materials, base metals, steel, stainless steel and alloys, as well as market intelligence, news and analyses to the manufacturing supply chain, presented on "How carbon neutrality will impact the recycled steel trade" in the context of the Middle East and Asia market.
The session also featured a presentation by Rolf Willeke, Iron Statistics Consultant, updating the key findings of the 14th edition of World Steel Recycling in Figures.
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