Waste prevention conserves resources and protects people and the environment. It is therefore a primary goal of the circular economy. In 2013, the Waste Prevention Program with the participation of the federal states was adopted. It was drawn up with support of the German Environment Agency. The waste prevention program was reviewed in 2019 and updated in 2021.
The recycling of waste conserves resources and strengthening waste management. Just waste have a high potential for recycling. The UBA explores approaches to the use of this potential.
Waste management is responsible for the entire waste cycle: from waste prevention, re-use and recycling to recovery and disposal. Their tasks include collection, transport, ,sorting and treatment of waste.
Division III investigates a host of issues, including the following: How can production processes be made greener? How can natural resources be conserved?
The global use of natural resources and the associated environmental impacts have increased continuously in recent decades. Materials such as metals and biomass play a key role in the transformation towards a greenhouse gas-neutral economy.
