n° 162 – September/October 2019

We are living in the age of social media: WhatsApp, Line, Twitter, WeChat and all kinds of mobile app. Business communication has advanced from telex to fax to email, and now to social media. But no matter how technology has moved on, the telephone still cannot be replaced. “Just a phone call away” still applies when reaching out to people in the business world.

In the Non-Ferrous Metals Division, we have not got heavily into social media communication just yet. Perhaps some of us still belong to the “old school” of conference calls, emails or a chat over a cup of coffee. No matter how convenient social media have become, we still talk to people and shake hands face to face. This is one of the reasons why BIR holds its Conventions and Round-Tables twice a year; it is a key element of our business platform, creating a unique opportunity for recyclers to get together.

During the past few months, old issues have not quite been resolved: for example, the US/China trade war rumbles on and environmental policy continues to be tightened. The market always follows the roller-coaster of global tensions.

However, new issues are coming at us even harder: Saudi Arabian oil facility strikes, US auto workers striking against General Motors, and even Hong Kong - peaceful for so long - has witnessed numerous protests since early June. These events impact our industries and inflict new wounds over unhealed, old wounds.

For our Round-Table session in Budapest, we have invited Perrine Faye of Fastmarkets (UK) to speak about “How China’s environmental policies and international trade wars are reshaping the global copper and aluminium scrap markets”. Our other speaker Andrey Putilov of MZ Ltd (Ukraine) will focus on the aluminium market in Eastern Europe. I look forward to both of them providing us with their professional insight into potential new directions for the recycling industry.

Our panel discussion entitled “New developments and emerging opportunities” will hopefully inspire us to explore new possibilities. Safe journey and see you in Budapest.