BIR Convention Gothenburg 2026

From May 31 to June 2, 2026, the BIR Convention took place in Gothenburg, Sweden. More than 1,700 participants from over 50 countries gathered at the Gothia Towers to exchange views on current developments, innovations, and business opportunities within the international recycling and raw materials industry.

Representing VMRF, board member Trung Nguyen attended the convention. Numerous discussions were held with existing business partners as well as representatives of other industry associations, including the VDM – German Association of Metal Traders and Recyclers, the BDSV, and the MRAI.

A special highlight was the Non-Ferrous Session, moderated by Emmanuel Katrakis. At the beginning of the session, Murat Bayram was honored for his outstanding contributions to the international recycling industry. The President of VDM and Director of the Non-Ferrous Activities for Continental Business at EMR – European Metal Recycling received the prestigious BIR Non-Ferrous Legends Award.

The entire VMRF community warmly congratulates Murat Bayram on this special and well-deserved recognition.

Following this emotional opening, the Non-Ferrous Session focused on a highly debated question: Should the European Union restrict or even ban exports of aluminum scrap?

Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium, expressed significant concerns regarding the future raw material supply of European aluminum producers. He argued that exports of aluminum scrap outside Europe could, in the long term, jeopardize the availability of valuable secondary raw materials for the European industry.

In contrast, Thierry Couchet of Derichebourg explained in his presentation that only a portion of aluminum scrap is exported. According to him, exports mainly consist of mixed aluminum fractions such as Zorba, a mixed non-ferrous metal fraction generated from automotive shredder operations. He emphasized that the real challenge lies in the weak demand from the European automotive industry. According to Couchet, vehicle production declined by as much as 30–40% over the past year.

Against this backdrop, Thierry Couchet called for a stronger focus on the reindustrialization of Europe rather than implementing export bans on aluminum scrap.

The BIR Convention 2026 once again demonstrated the importance of international exchange, strong networks, and open discussions in shaping the future of the circular economy and the recycling industry.

Some photos from the event