India’s metal recycler Sanjay Mehta leads RI’s Top 100

Recycling International’s fourth edition of recycling’s most inspiring people and practices from around the world is out.

This year’s Top 100 kicks off with Sanjay Mehta, president of India’s recycling industry body MRAI and director at one of the country’s largest scrap metal recycling companies, MTC Group. Putting him on No. 1 reflects India being a recycling nation of ever-growing importance.

No. 2 is one of the 37 newcomers in our list: Amy Bird, who runs Countrywide Metals Recycling and Connolley Metals in the UK. Former fashion model Bird strongly promotes the recycling industry as a career choice for the next generation.

No. 3, and another new name in RI’s Top 100 is Henk Alssema of Vita Plastics in the Netherlands. These are difficult times for the global plastics recycling sector with ever-more businesses going bust. In his role as BIR plastics division chair, Alssema has been urging strong action to prevent the collapse of crucial recycling infrastructure.

HERE’S THE TOP 10

1 Sanjay Mehta (India), director at MTC Group/MRAI president
2 Amy Bird (UK), ceo of Countrywide Metals Recycling
3 Henk Alssema (Netherlands), owner of Vita Plastics/BIR plastics division chairman
4 Brandi Harleaux (USA), ceo of South Post Oak Recycling Center
5 Javier Perez (Mexico), owner of Recicla Centro
6 Brett Ekart (USA), owner of United Metals Recycling
7 Kurt Kyck (Ireland), ceo of KMK Metals
8 Kubilay Karul (USA), general manager at SA Recycling
9 Chris Sheppard (UK), ceo of EMR
10 Chandru Wadhwani (South Africa), managing director of Extrupet

AND HERE’S OUR COMPLETE LIST

Read the Top 100 edition here >>

GOOD TO KNOW

As with previous editions, the 2024 list is not ranked by scrap volume or company turnover, notes Recycling International’s chief editor Martijn Reintjes. ‘Put simply, it contains people who we believe are making the difference, are an example or inspiration to others, or stand out from the crowd.’

ONLY WINNERS

An important aspect to underline, says Reintjes, is that RI’s Top 100 is not a winner-takes-all ranking event. ‘Everyone in the list is a winner, whether they are at number 1, 37 or 99. Nor is it a static list because we publish the Top 100 annually. Each year, we want to make it more wide-ranging and comprehensive so, if you’re not in the list this time, you may well be included next year.’

Read the Top 100 edition here >>