BMRA’s new chief hails high-tech metals recycling industry

United Kingdom – The general public does not fully appreciate the technological sophistication of the metals recycling sector, the recently-installed chief executive of the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has said in an interview with industry magazine Materials Recycling World.

‘When people first think about scrap yards or metal recycling, they think very low tech,’ states Robert Fell.

‘They have no idea the level of sophistication that goes on to actually sort the metal, grade it, separate it into the different metal types and separating ever smaller amounts of material.’ Some companies in the sector ‘have laboratories that universities would be proud of’, he adds.

Fell, who succeeds Ian Hetherington as BMRA’s chief executive, has worked in the metals industry for more than 30 years after having started his career at Metal Box. Following spells at Crown Cork & Seal and can maker USC Europe, he took on a senior role in R&D at the Ardagh Group. He has also served as acting chairman of the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association.