Waste & Recycling magazine’s flagship conference Paper Recycling Confex was held in Bangkok as it added the Asia edition. It gathered industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders from across the paper recycling sector. The event aimed to address pressing challenges in the paper recycling industry, trade landscape and the prospects of enhancing recycling rates throughout Asia.

The event commenced with a keynote address by Hrishikesh Vora, CEO of Adler, setting the tone for the day's discussions. This was followed by a presentation by Lupo Morganti, Managing Director of Melosch Export Srl on the global trading landscape with a particular focus on Asia and Europe.  

The panel discussion on the Paper Value Chain explored short- and long-term trends in the paper industry, while Panel on Trading in a Shifting Regulatory Era addressed regulatory challenges and opportunities. The session on Collection and Processing discussed strategies to enhance value in the recycling process, with speakers from Thailand and India addressing the difficulties in collection in their respective countries. Anshul Bansal, Global Commercial & Strategy Officer, UK Director, Exim Routes UK Limited,  threw light on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in the industry, while the Paper Mill Buyers Panel saw the speakers share their perspectives on the pulp and paper situation in their regions covering topics including the challenges and strategies to procure raw material, availability of various paper grades and impact on buying, safety, procurement and quality issues, factors that drive the paper recycling business, consumer trends and demand for products and outlook for the industry. The panelists also shared their thoughts on recent geopolitical events impacting the global recovered paper market; pricing issues and recent innovation and technological advancements to meet new demands.

The exhibition showcased a variety of products and services related to paper recycling, from machinery and technology providers to innovative recycling solutions. Attendees explored the latest advancements and offerings from leading companies in the sector.

Other speakers included Nick Scheepens (Cellmark), Pankaj Chowdhary (Ekman Recycling Ltd.), Rajeev Saraff (DDT Holdings Pty Ltd.),Devang Vora (Adler), Vikas Birla (Seascope Pulp & Papers Pvt. Ltd.), Takizawa Keisuke (Sino Paper Ltd.), Simone Scaramuzzi (LCI Lavorazione Carta Riciclata Italiana S.r.l.), and Chris Burton (IWPP Ltd.). Aditya Saraf (Nice Imports Pvt. Ltd.), Pankaj Agarwal (Indian Agro & Recycled Paper Mills Association), Rethinabalan Koluthungan (Seshasayee Paper & Board Ltd.), Vasudev Aggarwal (DLS Paper Mills), Vikas Mahajan (Mahajan Recycle Resources), Andreas Walser (Hamburger Recycling Group GmbH), Boonchai Pongnaravan (M&J Recycling), Kanophon Wongcharoen (Wongpanit Group), and Piya Kerdlap (PXP Sustainability).