Marc Natan: ‘Pass on experience to young traders’

‘Volatility has always been part of our business – sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,’ says French scrap trader Marc Natan, referring to the current market uncertainty faced by recyclers. At the BIR world recycling convention in Valencia, Spain, Natan was honoured with the Non-Ferrous Legend Award.

Marc Natan is the first to receive the award, launched by BIR to celebrate and honour  those who are a lifetime example and inspiration for the industry.

Natan is the owner of France-based Manco. He has been active in scrap commodity trade for more than 50 years and has seen many ups and downs. ‘Recycling is more precious than ever but at the same time our industry and business has been under a lot of pressure,’ he said.

Learning from failures   

Natan said that he had learned most from his mistakes. ‘There have been failures and regrets on the way. I’ve been betrayed but always managed to stand up again,’ he told the conference in Valencia. He added that recyclers should be careful with long-term investments because in these uncertain times ‘changes come so fast’.

A wonderful industry

Asked for some advice and wise words for young people newly started in the scrap trade, Natan suggested: ‘It’s a wonderful industry but be open to learning and always be concerned with quality’.

Asked for a tip for experienced traders, he joked: ‘Take the money and run. Seriously, it’s really nice to pass on your experience to the younger generation.’