56
‘It’s all about
relationships’
Recycling International regularly spotlights individual scrap traders from around the globe.
Here we give the floor to Rom Patel.
THE MARKET
‘Never a dull moment in electronics recycling, I
would say. There are so many developments affect-
ing WEEE and our industry. Energy prices, freight
and compliance are some of the biggest current fac-
tors. Also, look at what’s happening with reuse &
repair. My mobile provider upgraded my phone,
which occurs every two years, to the iPhone 14 in the
UK so my old iPhone get recycled. But on a recent
trip to South Africa my taxi driver was very happy
with his refurbished iPhone 6 which he runs his busi-
ness on and he’s probably not the only one.’
THE COMPANY
‘At Igneo, we’re busy rolling out big plans. The
recent majority investment agreement with precious
and non-ferrous metals smelter Korea Zinc will fur-
ther boost our global growth strategy with rapid
expansion in both furnace capacity and collection
infrastructure. In the US, as well as in Europe and
beyond.’
THE IMPACT OF COVID
‘Scrap trade is all about relationships. Not being able
to meet people face to face was quite frustrating for
all of us. At the same time, for me personally, the
pandemic offered opportunities. I got many calls
from potential customers: “Hey Rom, help us out,
we’re looking for business, what can you do for us?”
So it’s definitely a challenging time but certainly not
only bad news.’
FREQUENT FLYER
‘One trip every two weeks on average. October was
a bit of an exception, with 12 flights in four weeks to
Finland, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Czech Republic,
South Africa and then finally Dubai for the BIR show.
Living in London, LME Week for me was a home
game, luckily. I really enjoy travelling for work but it’s
also great to come home after a trip and watch my
son playing football and hear my daughter play the
piano.’
FAVOURITE HOTEL
‘The Mira Hotel in Hong Kong. It has an indoor pool
which plays music under the water and a nice terrace
next door with pubs and restaurants. Great service
and the good thing is the staff know their guests by
name. They pay true attention: “Hello Mr. Patel, wel-
come back.” Great hospitality when travelling!’
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB
‘Travelling globally and building great relationships,
knowing I’m making a difference through urban min-
ing. What’s more, in this job you’re not on the tourist
track. You get the chance to see different places and
learn from the local cultures.’
NEXT TRIP
‘The Netherlands and Germany.’
A U T H O R / P H O T O Martijn Reintjes
56-57_trader.indd 56 09-11-2022 11:47
