Bayram heads Germany’s Circular Metal Association

The German steel recyclers body BDSV and the association of German metal traders VDM have officially merged into a new organisation with a new name and a stronger voice: the Circular Metal Association (CMA). Ex-VDM frontman Murat Bayram, director non-ferrous at EMR, is the body’s first president.

CMA will serve as the joint voice of the steel and metal recycling industry in Germany, at European level and globally.

CMA brings together the entire value chain of steel and metal recycling under one roof: from collection and processing to trading and the supply of recycled raw materials to the metal-processing industry.

CMA will also represent companies active in the trading of primary metals, ferro alloys and minor metals. As the leading industry association for Germany’s secondary raw materials and metal recycling sector, the CMA will combine significant economic strength with expertise and representation in policy matters.

Stronger voice

At European level, the new association will strengthen the industry’s position in dialogue with institutions such as the European Parliament and the European Commission, as well as within international industry organisations including Recycling Europe and the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR).

‘In a time of global transformation, Europe needs greater confidence in its companies, more room for innovation and strong, open raw material cycles,’ says Bayram. ‘CMA will work to ensure that competitiveness, sustainability and security of supply go hand in hand.’

Combining strengths

‘This merger is far more than an organisational combination,’ adds CMA’s vice-president and ex-BDSV president Andreas Schwenter. ‘It is a clear commitment to the future of our industry. With the CMA, we are joining the strengths of two long-established associations and creating an organisation that represents the entire value chain of steel and metal recycling.

‘I am convinced that this is the right response to the challenges of our time: greater impact, stronger visibility and more influence for an industry that is indispensable for a sustainable industrial economy and a truly circular economy.’