DS Smith announces new appointments to further strengthen German team

DS Smith Recycling has announced two new appointments to its German recycling business. Herman van der Meij and Bernd Mäntele, who start their roles on 1 October and 1 November respectively, will help to drive DS Smith’s growth ambitions within the region.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the European waste and recycling sector, van der Meij joins from resource recovery specialist AEB (Amsterdam). Prior to this, he held the role of Managing Director at Viridor Resource Management Ltd, with operational responsibility for all commercial sites within the group.

Over the coming months, van der Meij will play a driving role in securing quality paper for recycling (PfR) from Germany, Benelux, Poland and the surrounding markets. Accordingly, he will focus on securing supply for paper mill customers across key markets and inspiring service innovation with retailers, recyclers and municipals.

Mäntele, who re-joins the DS Smith business after spending two years in purchasing roles at RSO Entsorgungs & Beratungs GmbH, will focus on integrating business and administrative processes with the DS Smith customer base. With extensive experience across the recycling industry, Mäntele’s brings unparalleled knowledge and understanding to the team. 

Jochen Behr Head of Recycling at DS Smith, commented: “The appointment of Herman and Bernd will allow us to become even more closely integrated with our customers, suppliers and partners. Alongside improving our agility in innovation, the move will ensure we are the supplier of choice for our customers’ recycling requirements.”

^{Herman van der Meij on the left and Bernd Mäntele on the right}