Page 41 from: Recycling International November/December issue 2024

41recyclinginternational.com | November/December | 2024

Christian Blackert (Germany)
Md of TSR Recycling, Blackert has been involved in the launch of
the company’s new shredder plant in Duisburg, Germany. Total

investment: EUR 45 million. Completed in just 12 months, the plant can
process up to 450 000
tonnes of materials per year,
transforming them into a
‘high quality’ recycled prod-
uct.
The decision to build the
facility was made after TSR
Recycling developed an
innovative system to deliver
TSR40 – a certified, recycled
product that reduces CO2
emissions and cuts consump-
tion of virgin raw materials
and energy when used to
manufacture steel.

Catherine Lenaerts (Belgium)
Lenaerts knows everything about end-of-life vehicles, including
e-mobility. She is the managing director of Febelauto’s new

spin-off venture Watt4Ever, which transforms used car batteries into energy
storage systems. This makes Lenaerts an advocate for both car and battery
recyclers. Partly thanks to Lenaerts’ efforts, Belgium gives 50% of used car
batteries a second life, typically extending the life cycle by ten years. She
cites major market growth with the value of the energy storage sector hit-
ting EUR 7.3 billion globally this year. ‘We are entering a new age of vehi-
cle and battery recycling.’ She believes it’s vital to learn from engineering
students, frequently visiting universities and inviting them to her facilities
to mantain an open dialogue.

Murat Bayram (Germany)
The scrap trader and storyteller from Hamburg (Bayram is direc-
tor for non-ferrous at EMR) remains an inspiring speaker at con-

ferences. He is always happy to share his views on the industry’s ups and
downs. People enjoy his
style of presentation:
open, enthusiastic and
witty. Speaking at the
10th anniversary congress
of the European recycling
industries’ federation
EuRIC in September,
Bayram lashed out fiercely
at EU policy makers,
blaming them for making
regulations more complex
rather than less – and
therefore unworkable for
recyclers.

Caroline van der Perre
(Belgium)
Van der Perre is the managing director

of Belgian firm Raff Plastics, based in Houthulst.
The seasoned plastics recycler is part of the sec-
ond generation at her family owned company,
founded by her parents in 1975. Van der Perre is
eager to pull out all the stops to ensure the busi-
ness, which processes around 70 000 tonnes of
plastics each year, continues to thrive. This
includes recording podcasts about industry hot
topics, speaking her mind at conferences, and
inviting policy makers to tour the facility. This
October, she welcomed a delegation from the
European Commission at Raff Plastics to showcase
a recycling line for rigid PVC and flexible plastics.
Van der Perre launched a dedicated big bag recy-
cling scheme two years ago and is proud her team
recycles 10 000 tonnes of bags every year.

Lim Teck Siang (Singapore)
Lim operates a metals and wood
recycling company, the Kim Hock

Corporation, which is claimed to have
Singapore’s only mega shredder, a 4 000 tonne
HP Harris machine. The most interesting part of
the company’s operations is a biowaste plant
that provides energy for the recycling machines,
material handlers and electricity in the office
building. A constant inflow of green waste from
gardens, parks and trees in the tropical island
state is used to heat the incinerator. Lim, who
has a technical background and education,
developed the plant himself.

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Robin Wiener (USA)
Wiener joined ISRI in 1989 and has
been president since 2000, representing

1 300 member companies operating in nearly 4
000 locations across the US while lobbying recy-
cling stakeholders in 34 countries. Wiener strives
to ensure that important topics, including trade
policies, workplace safety and technology, reach
the highest levels of state and federal govern-
ment. She travels the world to learn about and
share best practices and is one of the leading
women in scrap. For her, it’s vital the most power-
ful people in Congress realise that recycled mate-
rials are everywhere: ‘In the cars we drive, the
roads we travel on, the buildings we’re in, the
packaging we eat and drink from.’

Shelley Padnos (USA)
Padnos has been a well-known name in
the American scrap business for almost

four decades. Her family company, based in
Holland, Michigan, first opened its doors in 1984
and she is proud it now spans four generations.
‘We have 20 locations where we treat metals,
paper, plastics and e-scrap and operate 13 recy-
cling centres throughout Michigan where the pub-
lic and small businesses can recycle their scrap,
including used electronics, for quick payment.’

Anil Shah
(Canada/UAE)
Shah has been in the

scrap trade for many years. In
mid-2023 he opened a metals
recycling facility in the desert at
Ras Al Khaimah, north-east of
Dubai. Shah and his team have
set up a huge yard to process
stainless steel scrap, low and
high nickel alloys, and other
metals. Materials are sourced
both within and outside the
United Arab Emirates and the
company, Ni-Met, supplies end
users in India, Europe and
Southeast Asia.

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