The conference is accompanied by a trade exhibition with 60 exhibition stands and includes plant tours to leading raw material companies.

When: 21-23 January 2015
Where: Salzburg, Austria
How much: Before 30-Nov-14 - EUR 1,590; After 30-Nov-14 - EUR 1,690 (prices excl. VAT)

Register here.

Price:  24th and 25th packaging (forum only): EUR 1,499 if booked by 21-Nov-14, EUR 1,599 before 23-Jan-15, EUR 1,699 after that.

EPR toolkit seminar (24th): from EUR 999 (booking before 12-Nov)

A one day conference looking at how retailers, industry and the public sector can comply with new regulations on the separate collection of materials and organise services to meet the challenge of greater sustainability.

Including speakers from letsrecycle.com, Environment Agency, Ricardo-AEA, Sainsbury’s etc.

When: 26 February 2015

Where: Holborn Bars, London, UK

How much: GBP 200 (EUR 261) plus VAT

For more information and registration vist the event website.

Includes an awards ceremony, celebrating the achievements of individuals and organisations in the Turkish WEEE Sector.

When: 5-6 March 2015
Where: Istanbul, Turkey

Register here.

 

 

 Details will be available here

GBP195 plus VAT

 

Discuss next steps taken to ensure Wales meets the Welsh Government target of becoming a 'zero waste economy' by 2050, including the reforms outlined in the Environmental Bill. They will also consider the areas that need to be addressed to deliver improved resource efficiency and a circular economy including: design and manufacturing for repurpose, advancement of technology, investment in recycling and treatment facilities and services - as well as the need for cooperation and change of perceptions across businesses, local authorities and the general public. Including speakers from Welsh Government, European Commission, CIWM, WRAP Cymru etc.

Where: Central Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales
When: 9 June 2015
How much: GBP 210 (EUR 283) plus VAT.

For more information visit the event website.

The conference, held in co-operation with the UK trade association for the waste and resource management sector, the Environmental Services Association (ESA), will cover topics such as policy set-up, research, innovation and investment into a circular economy, as well as practical examples from leading manufacturers and waste management companies. These and many other questions will be raised and discussed at what promises to be a most interesting day assessing the dynamic potential of a circular economy.

Including speakers from DG Environment, Forum for the Future, FEAD, EEB, Veolia etc.

When: 23 June 2015
Where: Royal College of Surgeons, London, UK
How much: GBP 150 (EUR 209) plus VAT - Only 44 places remaining

See full programme here.
Register here.

The CWIT final conference will bring together actors involved and interested in the trade of WEEE, in particular representatives of enforcement agencies, policy making institutions and the EEE/WEEE industry. Topics to be covered include WEEE Flows & actors, market assessment as well as recommendations on tackling the illegal trade of WEEE.

When: 25-26 June, 2015
Where: Interpol HQ, 200 Quai Charles de Gaulle, Lyon France
How much: Free of charge. Networking dinner EUR 50

Conference language is in English. Places are limited, conference organisers may accept a maximum of 2 attendees per organisation. Register here.

Delegates will discuss the changes to Food Information to Consumer regulations which came into force in December 2014, and the financial and logistical challenges being faced by industry in preparing for mandatory nutritional information changes on products from 2016. Further discussion will focus on the current requirements of country of origin labelling and the recent call by MEPs to extend origin labelling requirements for processed foods to rebuild trust in the food supply chain.

Further planned sessions focus on the progress of enforcing food regulations across international boundaries, latest thinking on calorie content labelling on alcohol products, and future priorities for front of pack labelling.

Other areas for discussion include the particular challenges facing consumer information in non-retail environments, the impact of labelling on consumer consumption patterns and the development of innovation in barcode and packaging technology.

Including speakers from: Defra, Wm Morrison Supermarkets, Foodservice Packaging Association

When: 9th July 2015
Where: Central London, UK
How much: GBP 210 (EUR 291) plus VAT

Register here.

Delegates will discuss the future of voluntary agreements for the sector in light of the announcement of Courtauld 2025 which seeks to further develop collaborative frameworks on waste, recommendations in the Environment Audit committee's 4th report for ending the 'throwaway society', and the role of government in food waste reduction affecting key areas of production. They will also consider latest thinking on innovation - including advances in packaging - to reduce food waste going to landfill, and latest developments regarding anaerobic digestion.

Further planned areas for discussion include the direction of European food waste policy after the review of Europe 2020 in May of next year, and the lessons that can be learnt from new schemes such as the Institute of Groceries Distribution's 'Working on Waste' campaign and the UNFAO's Global Community Practice on Food Loss Reduction.

Including speakers from: European Commission, Defra, Packaging Federation, WRAP, Fareshare etc.

When: 10-Sep-15
Where: Central London
How much: GBP 210 (EUR 291) plus VAT

Register here.

 

Participants will have a unique opportunity to network with and influence leaders in the global electronics industry. With more than two dozen sessions and high-level keynotes, experts and thought leaders will focus on the unique hurdles and opportunities that electronics pose to a circular economy, from material selection and supply-chain social issues to closing the loop and emerging technologies.

When: 22-24 September 2015
Where: Portland, Oregon, USA
How much: Conference admission USD 1,200 (EUR 1,094), student admission USD 540 (EUR 492)

Register here.

Other topics include:

• Safety issues & transportation regulations
• Recycling efficiency
• The great future of LEV, EHV, PEHV and EV battery systems
• The success of Li-Ion batteries technologies
• Country reports on collection and recycling
• Best available technologies for battery recycling

When: 23-25 September 2015
Where: Montreux, Switzerland
How much: EUR 1,590 (networking dinner EUR 120)

Register here.

The conference will focus on the following questions:

• What is the role of consumers, retailers, producers and recyclers?
• What are major barriers to the eco-design of plastic materials?
• How can high quality recycling be achieved?
• What is needed to boost the European market for secondary raw materials?
• Which political framework is required to fit post-consumer plastics into a circular econmy?

With speakers from DSD, ACR+, DG Environment, Eco-Emballages, Dow Chemicals etc.

When: 29 September 2015
Where: Brussels, Belgium
How much: EUR 150 (ACR+ members free of charge)

Further details here.

This year’s European Bioplastics Conference:

• The most comprehensive and insightful industry update: as always, we are going to present you with the most innovative and insightful conference agenda covering everything you need to stay ahead of the curve
• Excellent networking opportunities: the interactive conference format, designated networking areas, our digital partnering tool, social evenings, and our 10th anniversary celebrations will give your networking efforts a massive boost
• The industry’s largest bioplastics-focused exhibition: exciting companies from across the bioplastics value chain will showcase the latest advances in bioplastics products and services – all under one roof

Including speakers from: European Commission, European Bioplastics, Perstorp, BASF etc.

When: 5-6, November 2015
Where: Berlin, Germany
How much: EUR 1,050 plus VAT if booked before 18 October, EUR 1,250 plus VAT after that.

Register here.

Electronics Recycling Asia is the event, which is worldwide recognized as the top conference in electronics recycling technologies and marketing, where producers, recyclers, equipment manufacturers, refurbishers, recycling associations, standards bodies, NGOs, regulators and many more meet to share their views and discuss their business.

When: 10-13 November 2015
Where: Singapore
How much: Participant tickets USD 1,690 (EUR 1,488); Networking dinner USD 120 (EUR 105); Workshop USD 180 (EUR 158).

Register here.

Post Event Press Release:

November 23, 2015
 
Press release about Electronics Recycling Asia 2015
 
Exciting opportunities for the recycling industry in Asia
The Electronics Recycling Asia 2015 conference, organised by the World Recycling Forum (WRF), took place in the scenic surroundings of the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, where the presidents of China and Taiwan had shaken hands at the very same location just a few days earlier. Although the number of participants in the conference was slightly lower than in previous years, their quality was excellent, representing key stakeholders from the entire industry. In his opening speech, Roger Burri, CEO of Metal Depot Zurich AG and Co-Chairman of WRF, emphasised that the world of recycling is changing. For instance, the role of re-use is likely to become far more important in the future. Electronic products will have multiple lives, as we move from the recycling paradigm towards a re-use paradigm. The circular economy was naturally a central theme at the conference.

Demand for new technology
From a European perspective, the volume of e-waste in the Asian market is enormous. In China alone, approximately 230 million mobile phones are replaced annually. Despite a large proportion of them finding a second lease of life in the hands of another person, a huge number of handsets end up being recycled. While China is looking to become a leading player in e-waste handling, as its new WEEE legislation and the Chinese Circular Economy initiative indicate, the country still lacks the leading technology and skills needed to adequately process the waste. Likewise, India is changing its way of thinking about e-waste, as the country has meanwhile realised how many valuable resources it contains, giving European recycling technology vendors and researchers plenty to do on the Asian market in the years to come.

Collection and informal sector – major challenges
One of the key messages of the conference was that there are two major challenges in many of the emerging e-waste markets in the region. The first challenge relates to organising the collection of e-waste in the various countries. Nowadays, collection is typically handled by “a man and a bicycle” who collects e-waste door-to-door and then sells it on, typically to informal sector players. According to Venkatesha Murthy, CEO of Vans Chemistry, in most Asian countries, only 5 to 7 per cent of e-waste is collected within the formal system. Apart from collection, these door-to-door collectors also disassemble the electronic products, which, in turn, creates health problems.

Legislation needed
According to Murthy, e-waste in Asia is a gold mine. However, before recyclers get their hands on the gold, proper regulation is needed. For instance, there is no common definition for e-waste among Asian countries. Regulators are confused, they do not understand what e-waste is. Furthermore, e-waste is not a priority on their agenda because there are other fractions causing even bigger problems.
In India there has been a lot of discussion about e-waste and regulation, but little has happened. Murthy also points out that many of the most populated countries in the world do not have recycling fees for electronic waste. One interesting item of news was that China is now subsidising collection by paying a recycling fee to people who properly recycle their used mobile phones. However, there is some concern that this policy could lead to the illegal importation of used mobile phones from neighbouring countries.

Quest for precious metals
A key theme at the conference in Singapore was precious metals, and gold in particular. The message was that in order to make money with e-waste, you need to extract the gold it contains. Even though devices are getting smaller and the amount of metal per device is diminishing, the new mobile phones and tablets still contain high amounts of precious metals, including gold and silver. In general, demand for metals in electronics is increasing dramatically. E-waste is an excellent source of gold, as up to 98 per cent of the gold can be recovered in the recycling process. According to Murthy, “there is a gold mine in e-waste in Asia”. However, in order to recover the precious metals and rare earth elements, more advanced technology and processes are needed. Japan, Taiwan and Korea have a number of companies with this capability, but it is clear that greater capacity will be needed in Asia going forward. Apart from metals, there is also huge demand for secondary plastics in Asia.

Best available technology
Technologically, various combinations of mechanical treatment, hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy were presented at the conference and the accompanying exhibition. The search for green technologies and processes that use less energy and toxic chemicals is in progress. However, recycling e-waste is a complex process, and getting the best possible results requires more that just the latest equipment. For instance, we heard that although China has acquired state-of-the-art recycling technology from Europe, in some cases actual production results have not reached the expected levels. As mentioned by ECO Special Waste Management Pte Ltd. during the tour of its plant in Singapore, it takes time to find the right equipment for each process and to build a well-functioning system.

Go East, young Man!
In line with the words of American author Horace Greeley, one should encourage all the players in the electronics recycling industry to go to Asia. We are living in interesting times now, as China has its WEEE legislation in place and India is realising that used eletronics can be an asset, and not just waste. Not to mention all the other interesting markets in the region, such as our host country Singapore, which is starting to model its WEEE recycling system. An eye-opening example was a story that was told in the workshop focusing on electronics recycling in China: whereas in the past, Japan looked to China to take some of its e-waste, today it is the other way around and Japan is now asking China if it could spare some of its e-waste, as resource-poor Japan needs material for urban mining purposes.
                                                                                                                

The conference will cover the latest on all of the following:

• Responsible sourcing (conflict minerals)
• Substance restrictions and related issues (RoHS2 Directive and REACH plus US and China developments)
• Ecodesign, energy efficiency, resource sustainability and the circular economy
• End-of-life and illegal waste (new WEEE2 Directive)
• Sustainability
• Export controls
• Market surveillance

When: 11-12 November 2015.
Where: London Hilton Heathrow Hotel, UK.
How much: GBP 672 (EUR 936) plus VAT.

Register here.