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Recycling International • April 2008 13

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Sharp increase in
European waste trade

A new study from the European
Topic Centre on Resource and Waste
Management (ETC/RWM) shows
that transboundary shipments of
waste have increased significantly
over the last decade. And according
to the Denmark-based institute, the
period has seen an increase not only
in shipments of hazardous, problem-
atic and non-hazardous wastes but
also in illegal shipments.

According to the new statistics,
around 8.6 million tonnes of haz-
ardous and problematic waste were
shipped across European boundaries
in 2003, with over 90% of this shipped
to other EU countries. Some 80% was
for recovery and 20% for disposal.
Total generation of hazardous waste
was 55 million tonnes in 2003, and so
the shipped volumes account for some
15%. This is seen as a sign that the EU
is acting more and more as a single
market in relation to the treatment of
hazardous and problematic waste.

Paper, plastics and metals com-
prised the main flows of non-haz-
ardous waste streams out of the EU
in 2005, each totalling around 8 to

10 million tonnes. A large proportion
was exported to Asia.

The quality and reliability of haz-
ardous/problematic waste shipment
data supplied to the EU Commission
is not satisfactory, according to
ETC/RWM, which is part of the
European Environment Agency and
aims to provide reliable and compa-
rable data and information on
resource and waste in Europe. The
codes applied for reporting – the
same as applied to the Basel
Convention – are deemed to be too
general to identify exactly what kind
of waste is being shipped. In the
opinion of the institute, if the codes
from the European Waste List were
used in reports to the EU
Commission, this would provide a
much better overview of shipments
and would enable an evaluation of
both the environmental and econom-
ic consequences of the shipments.
Economic factors appear to be the
most important driver behind the
shipments, it is concluded.

To download the report, visit:
https://eea.eionet.europa.eu

Containing steel recovered from
the ruins of the World Trade Center,
amphibious assault ship The USS
New York has received its official
christening. The ceremony was
attended by thousands of people,
including friends and family of those
who died in the September 11 terror-
ist attacks.

The billion-dollar, 25 000-tonne
vessel measures 684 feet (208.5
metres) in length, and 105 feet (32
metres) in width. It is the fifth in a
new class of warship designed for,
among other missions, special opera-
tions against terrorists. It can carry
a crew of around 360 sailors and 700
combat-ready Marines to be deliv-
ered ashore by helicopters and

assault craft. The bow stem, which
contains 7.5 tonnes of steel from the
World Trade Center, bears a shield
with two grey bars to symbolise the
Twin Towers and a banner with the
‘Never Forget’ slogan adopted by
New Yorkers.

The assault ship was in the plan-
ning phase when the attack took
place on the Twin Towers but had
been given no name at that time.
New York Governor George Pataki
asked the Navy to commemorate the
disaster by reviving the name New
York, something which required the
Navy to deviate from its normal poli-
cy of assigning state names only to
nuclear submarines.

The christening of the USS New York

Alter Trading plans
Hong Kong office

US scrap processor Alter Trading
is to open an office in Hong Kong.
The intention is to increase the com-
pany’s current business in China
and focus on expansion of other mar-
kets in the Pacific Rim. Alter will
retain its representative office in
Shanghai, China.

Robin Cai, formerly of Alter’s
Shanghai representative office, will
manage the Hong Kong base, which
will operate under the title of Alter
Metal Recycling Hong Kong
Limited. With offices in the North
Point area, Alter will further cen-
tralise its marketing and trading
activities in the region.

‘The addition of a trading opera-
tion in Hong Kong will serve to
enhance our strategic marketing

plan for the region as we diversify
our product base and move forward
with our long-term plan of expansion
in Asia,’ says Robert S. Goldstein,
Chairman of Alter Trading.

In related news, Alter Trading has
acquired Doggett Auto & Truck
Salvage of Laurel, Missouri, USA.
The company, which initially han-
dled only vehicles, has expanded its
operations and now processes all
grades of ferrous and non-ferrous
metals.

Founded in 1898, Alter Trading
Corp. is a privately-owned, fourth-
generation company headquartered
in St Louis. The company operates 31
metal recycling facilities and seven
trading offices in nine US states.

www.altertrading.com

World Trade Center steel
used in new warship

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