Electronic waste recycler Umicore has become the latest leading international businesses to partner with the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation.
Umicore is a global materials technology and recycling group, employing nearly 11,000 people worldwide. The company generates the majority of its revenues and dedicates most of its R&D efforts to clean mobility materials and recycling, focusing on areas where its expertise in materials science, chemistry, and metallurgy can make an impact.
Umicore’s recycling unit operates as one of the world’s largest recycling facilities and is a world market leader in recycling complex waste streams, offering eco-efficient services for precious metal bearing materials and end-of-life batteries. Umicore puts the recovered metals back in the cycle for a better life.
“The global energy transition leads to increased electrification in industry, transportation and in our daily life. The efficient reuse of valuable metals and materials will be a key ingredient for a successful transition,” said Denis Goffaux, Umicore’s Executive Vice President Recycling. “At Umicore, we are committed to an efficient circular economy approach to address resource scarcity. We are pleased to join the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, and we are convinced that further improvement of the cross-border trade of e-waste, end-of-life batteries and spent catalysts will enhance the attractiveness of a truly circular economy.”
By partnering with the Alliance, Umicore joins some of the world’s largest manufacturers, retailers, and logistics firms. The company shares the Alliance’s commitment to the full implementation of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, which makes cross-border trade simpler, faster, and less costly.
As part of the Alliance’s focus on e-waste, it plans to host an innovation sprint, or hackathon, on 26-28 November 2021. The entirely virtual event will include up to 60 hours to source creative solutions for three of the most pressing challenges facing e-waste, including two focused on trade facilitation. It is open to anyone with innovative concepts that will work for the collection and cross-border movement of e-waste for reprocessing.
“The Alliance is thrilled to have Umicore join as a partner,” said Philippe Isler, Director of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation. “The company shares the Alliance’s commitment to trade facilitation as a means to deliver solutions to today’s emerging challenges, particularly around electronic waste.”