ReMA Leaders to Represent the Industry at the BIR Gothenburg Spring Meeting

From June 1 to 3, a delegation of ReMA leaders, members, and staff will travel to Gothenburg, Sweden for the Spring 2026 Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) Convention and Expo. Trade restrictions and global market access for recycled materials will be major topics of conversation throughout the week, creating opportunities for industry leaders to exchange perspectives on effective advocacy and messaging strategies to address these challenges.

ReMA News spoke with Adam Shaffer, ReMA's Vice President of International Trade and Global Affairs, to share what this convention entails, the importance of ReMA's presence at the event, and what the association hopes to learn from participating in the upcoming Spring meeting.

Can you tell me about BIR?

The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) is the global confederation of the recycled materials industry. It's made up of both individual member companies and national, as well as regional, trade associations representing recyclers.

BIR's goal is to elevate the global voice of the industry on issues that require international mobilization. For example, market access and trade are crucial issues for our members that we should be advocating for at the global level because we're stronger together and we have a bigger impact when we discuss these issues with one voice.

What kind of presence does ReMA have at BIR conventions?

ReMA has been attending BIR conventions for many decades. These events take place twice a year - once in the fall and once in the spring. For a long time, the meetings were primarily viewed as a forum for traders for networking opportunities. However, in the last decade or so, conventions have broadened focus increasingly on issues like advocacy and strategy. It's become a much more important forum for discussions among recyclers.

BIR meetings are a great opportunity for associations to come together, learn from one another, and find out what's going on in one another's regions. For example, we may discover that one government is trying to limit liability on recyclers for handling PFAS, while another government wants to increase liability for our industry. These meetings are a great way for us to learn about how other governments may be seeking trade and export restrictions. These meetings allow us to coordinate with other associations and speak with one voice on some of the major issues that impact our industry's competitiveness.

Our materials are traded globally, so it's important for us to understand, appreciate, and focus on the global nature of our materials and supply chain challenges.

How will ReMA leadership and members be involved at BIR Gothenburg?

From the staff side, Robin Wiener, Emily Sanchez and I will attend the convention along with ReMA Chair Andy Golding and ReMA Vice-Chair Neil Byce. Robin will be speaking at several sessions, including the International Environment Council and the International Trade Council Plenary Session, which will focus on navigating global trade disruption in recycled materials markets.

Robin will present her perspective on the critical importance of international trade in recycled materials. Her presentation will highlight why open and efficient trade flows are a prerequisite for strengthening domestic supply chains and supporting the growing number of downstream sectors considered strategic to modern economies.

ReMA member companies attend not only because of networking opportunities, but also to get ahead of the trends that are happening on the global scale. We have staff and member company representatives who sit on several of the BIR Divisions and Committees, including the Shredder committee, the Ferrous division, and the Electrics, Electronics and EV Batteries (EEVB) committee.

We're all increasingly learning that nothing happens in a vacuum on the policy side. What happens in one country, especially concerning market access, is going to have a significant impact on other countries. By attending these meetings, we get a seat at the table and help ensure that the global voice of the recycled materials industry is amplified.