Gothenburg, Sweden, June 4, 2026 – The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) has officially renamed its Electrics, Electronics and EV Batteries Committee as the Electronics Committee, reflecting the industry’s evolving focus on increasingly complex material streams while simplifying its identity.
The announcement was made during the plenary session of the recent BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition 2026 in Gothenburg, where experts discussed critical raw material recovery, electric vehicle battery recycling, and the role of communication in shaping perceptions of the recycling industry.
Simpler Name for a Broader Mission
Committee Chair Josephita Harry of Pan American Zinc LLC explained that the new title is intended to be “short and simple” while remaining easily relatable to industry stakeholders.
The renaming comes as electronics recycling continues to expand beyond traditional e-waste management to include valuable materials recovery, battery recycling, and support for the global energy transition.
Critical Raw Materials Recovery Remains a Key Challenge
During the session, Dr. Spyros Karamoutsos, General Manager of Greek electronics recycler ECORESET, highlighted the challenges associated with recovering critical raw materials from end-of-life electronic products.
According to Dr. Karamoutsos, recyclers face significant obstacles due to the highly heterogeneous nature of electronic waste streams and limited information regarding the location of valuable materials within discarded products.
He emphasized the need for:
- Harmonized classification standards across Europe
- Improved product labeling and material identification
- Better collaboration between manufacturers and recyclers
- Uniform operating conditions for recyclers
- Stronger collection and recovery systems
He also stressed that manufacturers and recyclers must work together long before products reach their end of life to improve recovery rates and support circular economy goals.
Neo-Cycle Project Demonstrates Material Recovery Innovation
Dr. Karamoutsos also presented progress from the Neo-Cycle Project, which focuses on recovering valuable materials from discarded hard disk drive magnets.
The project enables the recovery of:
- Neodymium for pharmaceutical applications
- Iron compounds for fertilizer production
- Boron derivatives for polymer manufacturing
The initiative is currently scaling up to pilot level, with final project results expected by mid-2028.
Electric Vehicle Growth Drives Mineral Demand
Another key presentation came from Alexandre Gouy, Analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA), who outlined the impact of electric vehicle adoption on global mineral demand.
According to the IEA:
- Around 20% of global vehicle sales in 2026 will be electric
- More than 50% of global car sales could be electric by 2035
- Battery electric vehicles require approximately six times more critical minerals than conventional vehicles
- EVs and batteries currently account for nearly half of global lithium demand
Gouy noted that end-of-life batteries are expected to become the dominant feedstock for battery recycling by the mid-2030s, surpassing manufacturing scrap.
Expanding Global Battery Recycling Capacity
Currently, approximately 85% of global battery recycling capacity is concentrated in China, reflecting the country’s dominant position in battery manufacturing.
However, Gouy expects significant investment in new recycling facilities across Europe and North America in the coming years.
He stressed the importance of improving battery collection systems, noting that:
- With 90% collection rates, recycled materials could satisfy 25–30% of future lithium, nickel, and cobalt demand.
- At 50% collection rates, secondary supply could fall to just 15–20%.
He also highlighted innovative business models such as toll-based recycling services, where battery owners retain ownership of recovered materials while paying recyclers for processing services.
Changing Perceptions Through Better Communication
A major theme throughout the session was the power of language in influencing public, investor, and policymaker perceptions of the recycling industry.
John Sacco, Advisor to Sierra International Machinery and host of the Repurposed documentary series, argued that terms such as “waste” and “scrap” fail to reflect the true value of recycled materials.
He encouraged industry participants to adopt more positive terminology such as “recycled materials” and to actively promote the environmental and economic benefits of recycling.
“We are an industry that helps reduce CO₂ emissions globally by reusing and repurposing valuable materials,” Sacco emphasized.
He also urged companies to invest in branding, public education, and community engagement to strengthen awareness of the industry’s role in sustainability and resource conservation.
Recycling Industry Positioned at the Heart of the Energy Transition
Concluding the discussion, participants agreed that recycling is becoming an increasingly critical component of the global energy transition and circular economy.
As demand for critical minerals continues to rise and governments strengthen sustainability policies, the recycling sector is expected to play a central role in securing material supplies, reducing emissions, and supporting resource efficiency.
The newly renamed BIR Electronics Committee will continue to focus on advancing electronics and battery recycling solutions while promoting collaboration across the entire value chain to maximize resource recovery and circularity.