Recyclers to meet for Annual Commodities Roundtable amid challenging global markets

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI), the Voice of the Recycling Industry™, is once again hosting its annual Commodities Roundtable Forum, September 9 to 11, 2015, in Chicago. The once a year event is a must-attend for all involved in the trade of scrap commodities from processors to brokers to buyers. It provides the most comprehensive view of what is happening across a wide range of recycled commodities including ferrous and nonferrous metals, recovered paper and plastics and the key trends impacting the $106 billion scrap recycling industry.

The feature of the event will be the Special Topic Roundtable on Economy: Looking Beyond China. Without question, China's rapid economic growth and voracious appetite for raw materials was the main driver behind the commodities boom that witnessed a surge in prices and global scrap demand. As China's economy and manufacturing growth has cooled, Chinese demand for scrap commodities from the U.S. has been eroding in the face of falling commodity prices. Amid expectations for rising domestic scrap generation in China and potentially tighter financing requirements and environmental regulations, scrap exporters are increasingly aware of the need to develop new overseas markets. ISRI Chief Economist and Director of Commodities Joe Pickard, along with a panel of experts, will discuss the outlook for China and what developing markets are next in line for increased scrap demand growth.

“There is no doubt that there is a high level of uncertainty in the markets right now when it comes to scrap supply and demand,” said ISRI’s Joe Pickard. “The industry is facing extremely challenging conditions both at home and abroad, yet there are still emerging growth opportunities for recyclers. This dynamic should lead to a number of lively discussions at this year’s Roundtable.”

ISRI has, once again, assembled a group of expert speakers and moderators to shed light on the key developments and future outlook for global commodity and scrap markets.