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New vision just as
important as new products
More than 5 200 worldwide visitors and 350 exhibitors attended the recent
Recycling Technik expo in Dortmund. The three-day event was held alongside
Solids and Pumps & Valves, catering to the beating heart of the resource efficien-
cy industry. Here are some highlights from the tradeshow floor.
nice to have a challenge. The autocat
recycling segment is always moving
both in terms of precious metals com-
position and their demand. Lately,
rhodium content has been going
down drastically and this is reflected
in the prices. They were at EUR 750 a
few months ago and have dropped to
EUR 250. We’ll have to see if we’ve
reached the bottom.’
The trajectory of prices was very
unpredictable throughout 2022, he
says, adding with a laugh: ‘In the met-
als market, don’t count on it being
easy’. As a result of intense competi-
tion and market uncertainty, several
German car dismantlers have been
forced to closed doors in recent
months. ‘We’re talking dozens, not
just the odd one here or there.’
It’s a trend that hasn’t yet reached
RKR’s domestic market. ‘Sure, a few
Dutch operators have stepped out of
the game but nothing at the rate
we’re seeing here.’
One challenge has been ensuring a
steady stream of catalytic converters.
RKR can handle more than 300 auto-
cats per hour and they can be recy-
The ‘made in Germany’ principle was
well-represented in Dortmund.
Michael Böhlefeld, managing director
of MTB Recyclingtechnik, opens the
conversation: ‘It’s been a strange and
hectic two years. Even so, we set a
record performance. Business was
very, very good.’
Böhlefeld believes the economy is
throwing investors and traders ‘for a
loop’. But what will happen in the
next couple of weeks, let alone
months, is not set in stone. It pays to
have a long-term vision.’
He laments that people are too easily
distracted by headlines about shiny,
new technologies, impressive con-
tracts or, worse in his view, Bitcoin,
and focus on making a quick profit.
‘This short cut is risky and often turns
out to be an illusion. Nothing comes
from nothing. If you want more
results, you must put in more time,
money and effort,’ Böhlefeld argues.
‘Don’t just do what everyone else is
doing and don’t expect your next
milestone to fall from the sky.’
VOLATILE TIMES, VOLATILE
PRICES
Dutch player RKR Recycling, which
processes 20 000 catalytic converters
per week, reports that business has
many ups and downs due to volatile
metals prices. ‘Ours is a very dynamic
market and these are exciting times,’
company owner Hendrik Haverhoek
tells Recycling International in the
sidelines. ‘Though not always easy, it’s
A U T H O R Kirstin Linnenkoper
We have only
glimpsed the
impact of artifi-
cial intelligence
(AI) on the recy-
cling sector.
78-79-80_recyclingtechnikhighlights.indd 78 03-05-2023 17:06
