ReMA Leadership Talks Advocacy Strategies at 2025 Bureau of International Recycling Convention

From October 26 to 27, a large delegation of ReMA leadership, members, and staff traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, for the Fall 2025 Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) Convention and Expo. Trade restrictions and global market access remained major topics of conversation throughout the week and allowed for continued discussions on the best advocacy and messaging strategies to address these challenges facing ReMA members.

George Adams of SA Recycling and Adam Shaffer, ReMA's VP of International Trade and Global Affairs, spoke on the International Trade Council discussion, while Emily Sanchez, ReMA's Chief Economist, sat on the Stainless Steel and Special Alloys' plenary discussion.

"Trade restrictions and market access remain the biggest issues impacting the global recycled materials industry- both were a significant focus of the spring Convention," said Adam Shaffer. "Before this year, there had been significant focus on decarbonization and electrification and the crucial role that recycled materials play in a low carbon future. But those topics have taken a back seat to trade concerns."

The importance of BIR's association with ReMA cannot be overstated, there are problems that require a global solution - decarbonization was one of those issues and now global market access to ensure that burdensome trade restrictions do not limit trade in recycled materials.

While addressing the threats to the recycled materials industry are crucial, there were positive outcomes that materialized. The Electrics, Electronics and Electric Vehicle Batteries (EEEVB) Committee, chaired by Josephita Harry of Pan American Zinc, announced during its plenary session a partnership with the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) for the release of the 2027 Global E-Waste Monitor. ReMA will take point for BIR to liaise with U.S. electronics recyclers, and this will be addressed during the November 20^th Electronics Division virtual meeting. The BIR-UNITAR partnership will spur further conversation between the UN and recyclers on other commodities, since they have never worked directly with electronics recyclers in any country, so this will be a great opportunity.

BIR also convened the World Council of Recycling Associations (WCRA) on Wednesday, where discussions occurred on global advocacy efforts, including recent challenges related to the implementation of the Basel Convention E-Waste amendments, efforts in the European Union to impose export restrictions on certain recycled metals, like steel and aluminum, and the global plastic pollution treaty negotiations. The WCRA also discussed several global studies that BIR has commissioned, such as the global analysis of the environmental benefits of the use of recycled materials and trade flows and availability of certain recycled materials. The next BIR Convention will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden, in late May/early June of 2026.

Trade policy discussions are taking place both domestically and internationally and are having outsized impacts on the competitiveness of the U.S. recycled materials industry. As many governments are seeking to impose trade-restrictive measures, it is critical that ReMA and member companies engage with global partners and governments to address these emerging challenges.