Non-ferrous scrap export restrictions could harm global recyclers

At BIR's World Recycling Convention in Gothenburg, Sweden, the Non-Ferrous Metals Division held a session focused on the contentious issue of aluminum availability within Europe, moderated by Emmanuel Katrakis, director of Public and Regulatory Affairs at Galloo of France/Belgium.

The EU announces its end-of-life vehicle restriction

Director General of European Aluminum Paul Voss began his presentation by pointing to data suggesting exports of aluminum scrap out of Europe have "doubled since 2015 and grown about 50 percent since 2020". He told delegates: "It's a really, really big deal."

While other jurisdictions around the world are restricting exports of their own scrap, there is a feeling of frustration within the European aluminum industry that the EU "takes a laissez-faire approach", he said. 

In November 2025, the European Commission finally confirmed that the EU would act on ELV restrictions in a way that reflects the interests of the entire value chain — an approach for which Voss expressed unequivocal support. "It needs to be proportionate, needs to make sense," he insisted. "I've read many times in the press that we were asking for a ban on the export of aluminum scrap from Europe. It's fundamentally untrue. I think it would be excessive and heavy-handed, and unhelpful. What we're asking for is a targeted measure."

He underlined his insistence on the need for a review clause "so that we can see how the mechanism functions in practice, what its impacts are". And Aluminum Europe will remain open to dialogue, he added, "in the hope that we can come up with a model that works well for everybody".

Industry experts weighed in on the current challenges of the global aluminum scrap trade

Jessica Fung, head of Consulting at Project Blue in the U.K., provided a market intelligence perspective on aluminum flows. She contended that "the products that are being exported by the EU are products that the EU doesn't seem to have enough capacity to process". From the automotive sector in particular, aluminum alloys are coming back that were used 15 or 20 years ago, but are no longer being used in the automotive industry in Europe. "And so those are the products that are getting exported because they are being used by industry in other countries that can use those alloys and that metal," she said.

According to Fung, restricting exports of secondary materials would be detrimental to the recycling industry because holding costs for yards would increase, and domestic scrap prices would fall. Also, more material would potentially end up in landfill.

Thierry Cochet, president of FEDEREC's Non-Ferrous Metals Division and commercial director at Derichebourg Environnement in France, insisted that "introducing restrictions on exports will be based on a false analysis and will seriously damage the European recycling sector". In 2025, he pointed out that Europe recycled 6 to 6.2 million tonnes, but only around 20 percent was exported, mainly mixed aluminum from car shredding. It's easier for Europe's recyclers to sell locally for a range of reasons, but the market reality, he said, is that European demand is not large enough to absorb all the end-of-life products generated in the EU.

Restrictions could make an already complex system more difficult

In addition to creating storage issues for recyclers, export restrictions, or a ban, could lead to the postponement or cancellation of investments and a significant volume of recycled material remaining uncollected or unprocessed, he argued. As an alternative, Cochet urged the European Commission to work with the recycling sector to identify solutions to strengthen Europe's industrial base.

Murat Bayram insisted that any ban or trade interference would "take money out of the pocket of recyclers". And Alejandro Jaramillo, founding partner of Glorem in Mexico, underlined the investment risk in recycling any commodity before adding: "It's very relevant that we're part of the discussion and that our industry is protected as well."

Recycling Europe's President, Olivier François, ventured to suggest that the latest review of the EU's Emissions Trading System could provide an opportunity for recyclers and consumers to work together to ensure it compensates "for any loss in the price or the value of what we prepare" to ensure continued investment in recycling and increased use of recycled aluminum within Europe. "Maybe this is a win-win way to do something together," he suggested. Voss replied: "Of course, we can talk about this."

Katrakis summarized the meeting by stating that many recyclers believe a ban or restrictions on aluminum scrap exports "will be a medicine that won't cure the disease". However, he agreed with the general view expressed during the session that lines of communication must be kept open. "We appreciate the debate," he said, "and that's absolutely essential because, as we keep saying, if we fail, you fail."

Honouring a Non-Ferrous Legend 

Murat Bayram received the Non-Ferrous Legend award at BIR's Non-Ferrous Metals Division session. Presented by Division President Paul Coyte of New Zealand-based Hayes Metals, the award honours individuals who have made a resounding impact on the sector. 

Bayram is the current Director of Non-Ferrous at European Metals Recycling, acts as the president of the German metal recycling association VDM, has served on several BIR boards, and is currently central to developing the BIR Academy's accessible learning tools for educating recyclers around the world. 

"This industry is more than just a profession — it's a part of my identity, a part of my soul," he said at the Non-Ferrous Metals Division meeting in Gothenburg on June 2. "And this business gave me more than business — it gave me purpose, it gave me friendship across continents, cultures, religions, languages. And above all, it taught me something powerful. Friends, our metals travel around the world, but our values travel with them. Values like respect, trust, responsibility, humanity."

And he went on to say: "The real heroes of this industry are not the people on the stages. They are the people who wake up early, who survive crises, who solve problems under pressure, who build companies, who create jobs, and who keep materials in circulation so that the future generation still has a future. Recycling is not only about materials; it's about hope. It proves that things can be renewed instead of destroyed and that value can be recovered instead of wasted."