New trade advocate for BIR

The Bureau of International Recycling has appointed Alev Somer as its deputy director for trade and environment.

Somer will be working closely with Ross Bartley, BIR’s director for trade and environment on trade issues and environmental matters impacting the recycling industry worldwide.

She has over seven years of experience in public affairs working on environmental and industrial policies in Brussels. She has been leading the environment and technical committees of the European Aggregates Association since 2016 and advocated the uptake of secondary raw materials in a traditionally primary producer industry.

Somer has worked with the European Network of Cities (Eurocities) and the Birmingham City Council on sustainable city management projects.

A French and Turkish national, Alev studied in the UK and continued her career in Brussels. She studied political science and holds an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Birmingham. She speaks French, English and Turkish fluently and can communicate in Spanish and Italian.

‘BIR is gaining a highly competent and promising colleague who will certainly be an asset for our legislative and policy work,’ says BIR director General Arnaud Brunet. ‘Her experience and also her international background are the perfect fit for our organisation and I am certain that our members will benefit greatly from her expertise, drive and vision.’