EuRIC is pleased to publish a factsheet on Metal Recycling highlighting the importance of both ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling and their substantial benefits for the environment and the economy in Europe.

The factsheet outlines the environmental benefits, and the economic and international trade aspects of steel, aluminum and copper recycling.

Susie Burrage, President of EuRIC Non-Ferrous Metal Recycling Branch, President of the BMRA, and owner of a metal recycling company in the UK emphasised the importance of communicating about the vital role played by metal recyclers across Europe to preserve resources and re-introducing them back into the economy.

Thomas Papageorgiou, President of EuRIC Ferrous Metal Recycling Branch and Executive of a leading metal recycling facility in Greece, added that these benefits require well-functioning value chains and the right policy drivers to further boost the circular economy, pointing out at the priorities of the recycling industry for the period 2019 -2024 recently published by EuRIC. 

As the European Commission has confirmed in its Green Deal that the circular economy and climate-neutrality sit on top of its agenda, it is urgent to address obstacles affecting circular material flows and reward the use of raw materials from recycling in line with their significant
greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings, they concluded.

This Factsheet will be followed by other publications stressing the vital role played by the recycling industry to realize the transition towards a circular economy and achieve climate neutrality. 

EuRIC - The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation, of which BMRA is a member, is the umbrella organisation for recycling industries.

Through its Member Federations from 21 EU&EFTA countries, EuRIC represents across Europe over:

• 5,500+ companies generating an aggregated annual turnover of about 95 billion €, including large companies and SMEs, involved in the recycling and trade of various resource streams;
•  300,000 local jobs which cannot be outsourced to third EU countries;
• Million tons of waste recycled per year (metals, paper, glass, plastics, textiles, tyres and beyond);

By turning wastes into resources, recycling is the link which reintroduces recycled materials into the value chains
again and again. Recyclers play a key role in bridging resource efficiency, climate change policy and industrial transition.