New record high in packaging waste: 18.7 million tonnes accrued. read more

Waste | Resources
One of the UBA’s main goals is to reduce resource use along with the environmental impact of such use as a whole and across the entire value chain. Against this backdrop, cutting back on waste and using it as a source of secondary raw materials and energy can make a significant contribution to resource conservation in the guise of resource friendly manufacturing processes, products and usage modalities.
Sparing and efficient use of natural resources is crucial not only from an ecological standpoint, but is also a major economic and social challenge. Hence resource conservation and resource policy constitute an inter-disciplinary field encompassing myriad strategies and stakeholders. This in turn means that we need to define a carefully constructed policy mix with just the right instruments for the tasks at hand. And this is where the UBA comes in. We devise concepts aimed at enshrining resource conservation in environmental policy along the entire value chain, beginning with raw material extraction, product design, the commercial and usage phases, and finally recycling and disposal. We also place great emphasis on informing and networking with the general public, business leaders and policymakers, and on the elaboration of ambitious objectives and the instruments needed to achieve them. Developing waste management, which is now primarily a disposal oriented activity, into a raw materials oriented recycling system is also taking on ever growing importance for us.
Insufficient recycling capacities for dismantling wind-powered installations
UBA study examines environmental aspects of recycling old wind-powered installations. read more
New packaging registry marks first year of success
Federal states must step up imposing fines and producers must avoid more packaging. read more
Marine Regions Forum discusses solutions for marine protection
200 international experts meeting in Berlin. read more
Further decline in 2017 of reusables share in beverage packaging
Only beer is sold mostly in reusable bottles. read more
Rebound effects
Efficiency increase oftentimes reduces product or service costs, which can in turn ramp up consumption (due to reduced prices), thus partly canceling out the original savings. This is known as the rebound effect. read more
45%-target collection rate for WEEE reached in 2017
More than 800.000 tonnes of refrigerators, dish washers and other appliances were collected in 2017. read more
Online citizen dialogue "GesprächStoff Ressourcen" sparks talk about resource efficiency
From 12 June to 16 July interested citizens can submit their ideas and suggestions for the German federal government's resource conservation policy. Their proposals will be taken into account in the update of the German Resource Efficiency Programme ("ProgRess") . read more