BIR World Recycling Convention (Round-Table Sessions) in Budapest (13-15 October 2019)

Opening Session: BIR’s new President places emphasis on education

In his first Convention welcome address as President of BIR, Tom Bird set out the key priorities for his term in office, including membership expansion and a close working relationship with the media to promote the vast environmental, economic and social contribution of the recycling industry. He also identified the need to make BIR the “go-to” organization for facts and figures relating to the recycling industry.
 
“Recycling still has an image that needs improving and we really need to promote the positive contribution our industry makes,” Mr Bird explained in his opening remarks to a BIR Convention in Budapest which attracted more than 900 participants. “We will be updating all the figures in this area so we have the info to hand that will enable us to better argue our case. Our figures on the ferrous market are excellent but I believe we should offer more in other areas.”
 
He continued: “Education, education, education - this is one of the reasons why BIR created the Global Recycling Foundation. We will work more closely with the Foundation, and BIR will be looking at education programmes relating to our sector. We will be working to see what we can do to educate a wider audience of the role of recycling.”
 
Other targets identified by Mr Bird for his period in office include a global database of recyclers and “strong initiatives” to ensure that BIR “expands its presence to new countries and regions of the world”.
 
Describing himself as “passionate” about recycling, the new President underlined his desire to make BIR more visible and to place the world organization at the forefront of the environmental debate. “In doing so,” he said, “BIR will be in a better position to represent its members and, most importantly, attract new members. Members need to feel that their voices are being heard, that their interests are being represented and that, ultimately, they are receiving value for money.”