A statement issued by the British Metals Federation and the British Secondary Metals Association, said that the councils of both organisations “have reached agreement in principle to establish a new trade association to represent the whole of the metal recycling industry, subject to acceptance by their membership”.
The two associations will appoint a steering group, split equally between the two organisations, to oversee the setting up of the new association. As a priority, the steering group will prepare its new constitution and elect the officers “who will be fully representative of the joint membership, from the smallest to the largest companies”.
The government has already backed the the two merging and even paid towards research work into the idea.
Traditionally the BSMA has represented middle sized and small businesses working in the non-ferrous recyling sector handling materials ranging from aluminium containers through to copper piping. In recent years its membership numbers have fallen. The BMF has many larger companies as members, including EMR and Simsmetal UK who handle about 60% or more of the ferrous sector. BMF members also handle large volumes of non-ferrous material, much of it arising through the shredding of cars.
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