An iron crystal magnified 165 billion times gives shape to the Atomium, a sculpture created for the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels. This structure, designed to last only one year, has instead survived for decades, including a renovation last year that replaced much of its aluminum skin with more durable stainless steel. It has become a much-beloved landmark of this international city, which hosted the 2006 autumn roundtable of the Bureau of International Recycling (Brussels). It's an apt symbol, perhaps, for metal's endurance and the brightness of the markets that BIR attendees expect looking forward. About 750 delegates-a record for a fall BIR meeting-convened at the Sheraton Brussels to discuss the outlook for 2007.
展开▼
