Waste | Resources | Page 13

Waste | Resources

Resource consumption is essential to our existence. Global population and economic growth are increasing the pressure on natural resources such as raw materials, land and biodiversity. The German Environment Agency pursues the key aim to reduce resource consumption and the associated environmental impact overall and along the entire value-adding chain. The avoidance of waste and the use of residual and waste materials as secondary raw materials and the energy recovery of waste can also make a meaningful contribution to resource conservation, as can resource-efficient production processes, products and utilisation concepts.

Recycling precious and special metals: a call for coordinated action

Wanted: real progress in recycling efforts, boosting environmental protection and increasing security of supply – from all players read more

Germany’s raw material stockpile:What’s in buildings, roads, etc?

Extracting more and more new raw materials is unsustainable. The future ideal is a closed-loop, circular economy which, through “urban mining”, obtains many of its raw materials from end-of-life houses, piping, cables, cars and appliances rather than from mines and quarries. An UBA study has determined the types and quantities of potential secondary raw materials available in Germany. read more

Resource-efficient land use

stilisierte Erdkugel, auf der Landschaften und Städte überhöht dargestellt sind

The aim of the research project “Resource-efficient land use – Towards a Global Sustainable Land Use Standard” was to spark a debate on the development of a standard for global sustainable land use, launch the requisite scientific process and explore and identify options for implementing a global sustainable land use. read more

Microplastics in oceans – how much? From where?

UBA: Focus more attention on large-size plastic litter read more

More legal rulings on shipments of illegal waste in 2013

Significantly more court decisions taken on exports of waste to Africa and Eastern Europe read more

Climate protection in the waste management sector

Waste management makes an important contribution to climate protection. Recycling, the energetic use of residual waste, and capturing and utilizing landfill gas contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In Germany, the landfill ban for untreated municipal solid waste (MSW) set an important impulse for this development. read more

Removing POP from the cycle: proposal to introduce limit values

polystyrene insulation materials are removed from a facade

One of the principles of environmental protection is that wastes must be recycled. However, it is counterproductive to reintroduce a recycled product which contains pollutants. An UBA study examines how this can be prevented for five persistent organic pollutants (POP). read more