002 May 2008
I n t e r v I e w
How did you become involved in the
recycling industry?
‘Our family owned B.J. Nijkerk, a metals recy-
cling company with yards in the Netherlands
and Belgium, which was founded in 1823. It
was never a question of whether but when
I would join the business. I duly did so in
1956 after having graduated as a lawyer. I was
Managing Director until, in 1965, the com-
pany was sold to the Dutch steelworks which
today is part of the Corus Group. After that,
I started my own metals trading company
called Handelmij. Alfred Arnold Nijkerk.
Later in my career, I was involved in the Dutch
shipbreaking business and headed Billiton’s
worldwide recycling division which incorpo-
rated scrap yards in Europe, the USA and
Africa.’
You were present in 1948 when BIR was
founded. How did that come about?
‘At that time, I was 17 years old and still in
high school. On March 18 1948, B.J. Nijkerk
held a big reception to celebrate its 125th
anniversary. At this reception, it was decided
to set up an international recycling organisa-
tion and, on the spot, the Bureau Internation-
al de la Récupération – now the Bureau of
International Recycling – was founded. I fear
that, today, I am the only recycler still alive
who was present at BIR’s birth. I have been
involved in BIR ever since, including as Vice
President of the Ferrous Division, the Shredder
Operators Committee and the Public Rela-
tions Committee. In addition, I was President
of the Dutch Metals Recycling Federation for
more than 25 years.’
You have been a recycling journalist
for many decades. Why did you make
this switch to journalism?
‘In 1983, Shell Oil, which owned Billiton,
decided to sell its recycling division. At that
point in time, I had the chance to buy the
Dutch recycling publication Magazine Recy-
cling Benelux which, just for the fun of it,
I had started in 1966. I managed to expand it
into a strong publication and eventually, in
1991, sold it to publishing company Reed
He has been involved in the recycling industry for more than 50 years
and is undoubtedly the only recycler still alive who was around when
BIR was founded in 1948. His biggest achievement was his involve-
ment in the lifting of the ban on exports of scrap metals from Europe
to third countries in the 1970s. Fred Nijkerk, now 78 years young,
looks back on his life-long career in the recycling business.
By Manfred Beck
At the age of 78, Alfred Nijkerk is still involved
in the recycling business.
The life and recycling times of Alfred Nijkerk
RI_033_Interview.indd 2 14-05-2008 13:56:25
