Federal Association of Secondary Raw Materials and Disposal

The bvse – Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (Federal Association of Secondary Raw Materials and Disposal) is a German industry association and registered voluntary association (eingetragener Verein) based in Bonn. It represents companies active in the collection, processing, marketing, recovery, recycling and environmentally sound disposal of waste. Founded in 1949 as the Altpapierverband e.V. (Waste Paper Association), it was renamed Bundesverband Papierrohstoffe e.V. in 1969 and adopted its current name and broader remit in 1993. As of 2022 it represented 887 ordinary and 147 extraordinary member companies, predominantly small and medium-sized enterprises (Mittelstand) employing roughly 50,000 people, making it the largest industry umbrella association of the German SME secondary raw materials, recycling and waste management sector. The association describes itself as a sector umbrella organization spanning all raw material and waste streams and service areas of the recycling and waste management industry. Its stated purpose is to promote and represent the shared ideal, economic and social interests of its members vis-à-vis legislation, administration, upstream and downstream economic stages and the public. It advises members on general economic questions, promotes their performance standards and maintains relations with international specialist organizations. It advocates environmental protection and conservation of raw material reserves, functioning material cycles, high-quality recycling, open markets, reliable partners in collection, processing and marketing, high quality and qualification standards, uniform law enforcement and harmonized international environmental standards, and states that it opposes monopolies, sham privatization and environmental dumping. The bvse is organized into ten specialist associations (Fachverbände) covering material streams such as paper recycling, plastics recycling, scrap, e-scrap and vehicle recycling, minerals, and others. It maintains a federal office in Bonn with an interdisciplinary expert team and is politically and professionally networked in Berlin, the German federal states and Brussels. It publishes the newsletter "bvse am Mittag" several times a week, the monthly member magazine RecyAktuell and the bvse-Branchenjournal, and organizes numerous conferences and forums including the International Altpapiertag, International Altkunststofftag, the Branchenforum with the Elektro(nik)altgerätetag and Schrottforum, the International Alttextiltag, the Mineraliktag, the Forum Reifen & Gummi, the Forum Altölentsorgung and the Sonderabfallforum. Its education center (Bildungszentrum) offers courses, training programs, workshops and congresses on technical and legal questions of recycling and waste disposal. Henry Forster became president in October 2021; Eric Rehbock has been Hauptgeschäftsführer (chief executive) since 2007.

The bvse was founded in 1949 as the "Altpapierverband e.V." (Waste Paper Association), reflecting its origins in the waste paper trade. In 1969 it was renamed "Bundesverband Papierrohstoffe e.V." (Federal Association of Paper Raw Materials). In 1993 the association broadened its scope beyond paper and adopted its current name, "Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V." (bvse), to cover secondary raw materials and waste disposal more generally. The association has since grown into the largest industry umbrella organization for small and medium-sized enterprises in the German secondary raw materials, recycling and waste management sector. As of 2022 it represented 887 ordinary and 147 extraordinary member companies, predominantly SMEs, employing around 50,000 people. Its headquarters is in Bonn. In October 2021 Henry Forster became president of the bvse; Eric Rehbock has served as Hauptgeschäftsführer since 2007. The association has expanded its specialist structure to ten Fachverbände covering material streams such as paper recycling, plastics recycling, scrap, e-scrap and vehicle recycling, and minerals, and it maintains political representation in Berlin, the federal states and Brussels.

• 2022

  Represented 887 ordinary and 147 extraordinary member companies employing about 50,000 people.

• 2021

  Henry Forster becomes president in October.

• 2007

  Eric Rehbock becomes Hauptgeschäftsführer.

• 1993

  Broadened scope and renamed "Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V." (bvse).

• 1969

  Renamed "Bundesverband Papierrohstoffe e.V." (Federal Association of Paper Raw Materials).

• 1949

  Founded as "Altpapierverband e.V." (Waste Paper Association).

Sector umbrella association for the small and medium-sized German secondary raw materials, recycling and waste management industry, advocating open markets, high-quality recycling and harmonized environmental standards.

• bvse am Mittag newsletter

  Newsletter published several times a week with industry news.

• RecyAktuell member magazine

  Monthly member magazine.

• bvse-Branchenjournal

  Industry journal.

• CO2 reporting tool

  Tool for member companies to generate individual CO2 reports for disposed and recovered waste.

• bvse quality seal

  Quality seal for the industry.

1. 1bvse official websitebvse.de
2. 2bvse – Mitgliedersuchebvse.de
3. 3bvse – Kontaktbvse.de
4. 4bvse – Fachverbändebvse.de
5. 5Wikidata – Federal Association of Secondary Raw Materials and Disposalwikidata.org
6. 6Wikipedia (de) – Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgungde.wikipedia.org