BIR is proud to announce the publication of its 2025 Annual Report, marking a year of record achievements, strengthened advocacy and continued growth for the global recycling industry.
Under the presidency of Susie Burrage OBE, BIR’s membership encompassed nearly 1,100 organisations across 71 countries in 2025, reflecting the federation’s growing influence and the trust placed in its leadership. The year saw particularly strong growth in Asia and the Middle East, with an 86% retention rate confirming members’ high satisfaction levels with what BIR offers to their own organisations and to the recycling industry as a whole.
2025 was also a milestone year for BIR’s World Recycling Conventions. The Valencia event welcomed over 2,000 participants from 66 countries, setting a new attendance benchmark for the organisation’s showcase international gatherings. The Bangkok Convention, BIR’s first in Thailand, attracted nearly 1,200 delegates and underlined the federation’s expanding global presence.
BIR played a central role in international policy discussions last year, representing the industry at the United Nations, the OECD and European Union. The organisation contributed its unmatched expertise to the Basel Convention COP-17, the UN PACE II Working Group and negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty, ensuring recognition at the highest levels for the essential role of recycling in climate action and resource security.
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From the financial perspective, 2025 was one of the most successful years in BIR’s history, enabling the Executive Committee to freeze membership fees for 2026 and to reinvest in new services, technical expertise and staff capacity. This prudent stewardship is ensuring that BIR remains financially strong and well-positioned to invest, innovate and maintain its steep growth trajectory in support of the global recycling industry.
Also in 2025, BIR continued to expand its communications initiatives, produced two editions of The Recyclist membership magazine and strengthened its digital footprint. BIR is also investing in studies to quantify the industry’s environmental and economic contributions, thereby providing the robust data support that is essential to the federation’s advocacy work.
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“I am very proud of what BIR achieved for its members in 2025, and I commend our industry for its resilience and adaptability in these uncertain times,” says BIR President Susie Burrage OBE. “BIR remains committed to advancing our members’ interests and strengthening our collective voice globally as we promote recycling as an essential pillar of the circular economy.”
“Our record membership growth in 2025 is a clear sign that recyclers worldwide are looking to BIR for representation, market intelligence and invaluable networking opportunities,” adds BIR Director General Arnaud Brunet. “We will keep building on this momentum – expanding and strengthening our global community.”
BIR is the international trade association of the recycling industries. Over 70 countries are represented through their national trade associations and individual companies, which are involved in recycling. BIR comprises five commodity divisions: iron & steel, non-ferrous metals, paper, textiles and plastics, and has three commodity committees dealing with stainless steel & special alloys, tyres/rubber and electrics/electronics/batteries. BIR’s primary goal is to promote recycling and recyclability, thereby conserving natural resources, protecting the environment and facilitating free trade of secondary raw materials.
