2019 ISRI Annual Report

Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. 4 2019 was a year of change and transition for the recycling industry, and ISRI was there at every step for our members. Whether we faced the continued movement by China and other countries to restrict imports of scrap, market uncertainties, increasing workforce shortages, disruptions in domestic rail service, tariffs, state efforts to bring recyclers into new permit requirements, or headlines about “recycling in crisis,” ISRI was out in front fighting for you, our members. With renewed public focus on recycling by policymakers, the media, local communities, and brand owners, ISRI seized the opportunity to raise awareness of all that the recycling industry does every day to benefit the economy and the environment. Never before has ISRI’s mission to serve as the Voice of the Recycling Industry ® —promoting safe, economically sustainable, and environmentally responsible recycling through networking, advocacy, and education—been so critical. And by carrying out our mission, ISRI, along with its members, made a significant impact in 2019. Promoting safe, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible recycling: With safety as our core value, ISRI delivered safety outreach and training to hundreds of ISRI members. We also worked aggressively to provide compliance assistance and support. But our efforts did not stop there. To help ensure market access for specification-grade scrap, ISRI worked around the world to actively promote the benefits of responsible recycling as well as the use of the ISRI Specs and the value of industry certifications such as the Recycling Industry Operating Standard ™ (RIOS). Networking: Networking remains a key benefit of ISRI membership. In 2019 we expanded opportunities for members to create and grow their business relationships through national, regional, and chapter events. Last year saw near-record attendance at our Commodity Roundtables Forum, while ISRI2019 provided new offerings from morning to night for nearly 5,000 attendees in Los Angeles. With our Young Executives and Women in Recycling initiatives, we are broadening the industry’s appeal and awareness to a more diverse workforce. Advocacy: At the local, state, national, and international levels, whenever issues arise, ISRI is there for our members. Simply put, we stop bad things from happening to the industry while simultaneously identifying opportunities to help members grow and be more profitable. In 2019 we strengthened our working relationship with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; we prevented the Department of Commerce from moving forward with export controls on e-scrap; we obtained an exclusion from tariffs for certain critical recycling equipment parts; we inserted critical language into draft legislation that would bolster the industry by expanding market opportunities; and we fought back against harmful regulations in the states. At a time when we are seeing a growing number of attempts to limit free trade and impose import restrictions in countries around the globe, ISRI LETTER FROM THE ISRI CHAIR AND PRESIDENT