Recent BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition in Hong Kong (22-24 May 2017)

BIR Annual General Assembly and Keynote Session:

Free and fair trade must remain “core principle”

One of the main challenges currently facing the global recycling industry is “the increasing burden of legislative controls that does not help in the promotion of a smooth and efficient system of waste collection, segregation and transportation of recyclables,” BIR World President Ranjit Baxi of J&H Sales International has insisted. “Facilitation of free and fair trade must therefore remain the core principle of our industry. BIR is continuously working with its global partners in promoting free and fair trade of recyclables with minimum regulatory controls.”

Mr Baxi made these observations at the BIR’s latest Annual General Assembly, held during the global federation’s convention in Hong Kong which attracted more than 900 participants from 63 countries. He also expressed BIR’s deep appreciation of the support of the convention’s sponsors and of the 18 machinery, equipment and service suppliers which displayed their products at the exhibition running in parallel with the conference.

In noting that 57 member companies and national federations had joined BIR in the last 12 months, Mr Baxi insisted that the world body would continue to prioritise the development of new business opportunities for all of its members, such as through finding new convention locations to help them develop fresh contacts. In this context, he pointed out that the next BIR convention and exhibition on October 13-16 2017 would be held in India for the first time. The venue would be the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi, where one of the meeting days would be devoted to a debate on recycling in India, he noted.

Mr Baxi, who has agreed to serve a second two-year term as President of the world recycling association, also emphasised that the Global Recycling Day being organised by BIR for March 18 next year would be of direct benefit to members as it would put “powerful” emphasis on the importance of what recyclers do for the social, economic and environmental fabric of the planet.

The Annual General Assembly was followed by a keynote presentation from BIR’s own International Trade Council Chairman Michael Lion of Hong Kong-based Everwell Resources Ltd. Promising random recollections from 50 years as “a rebellious recycler”, his selection of sometimes mischievous anecdotes reflected the breadth of his metals industry knowledge and also the far-reaching changes that have transformed the recycling sector, most notably in terms of business communications. “The hardware has changed,” he mused, “but the way we conduct our industry and our values are really unchanged.”