WasteCulture and ForumZ at the Professional Conference at Aschaffenburg Castle

More than 80 participants and speakers from municipalities, associations, and industry spent two days discussing topics related to municipal waste management and the circular economy. A large industry exhibition provided the setting for the gathering.

WasteCulture

In addition to the presentations, which we will shortly share in WasteCulture as abstracts, four panel discussions rounded off the program perfectly.

In the first discussion on the topic of organizational structures, the advantages and challenges of municipal enterprises were presented. Decision-making processes are evidently much faster. Intensive media communication regarding individual projects can be organized more efficiently through a municipal enterprise than through a municipal department.

How can producer responsibility be organized? During the second panel discussion, the role of retail businesses as collection points for waste electrical and electronic equipment was discussed controversially. There was broad consensus on the basic principle of Extended Producer Responsibility, namely that municipalities, which possess the necessary expertise, should continue to organize collection activities in the future, but with full financing provided by the manufacturers.

The participants in the third panel discussion agreed that the BEHG and/or EU-ETS should be regarded as an unnecessary additional cost factor within waste management. It results in higher waste fees for citizens and significantly increases administrative effort. It provides no benefit for climate protection and, from a European perspective, is clearly counterproductive because it further increases the cost barrier between landfill disposal and material and thermal recovery. The participants agreed that CO₂ pricing will have no steering effect whatsoever on the waste behavior of citizens.

Practical applications of AI in municipal waste management were discussed during the fourth panel discussion. Among the participants, these ranged from chatbots to the digital recording of items for sale in second-hand shops. The participants agreed that, sooner or later, AI will become indispensable for everyday work and that personnel should be encouraged and trained at an early stage in the use of AI.

During the final discussion, the moderator, Prof. Dr. Kerstin Kuchta from Hamburg, mentioned that in Germany the principle of the circular economy is increasingly being replaced by Zero Waste. For those involved in the many activities surrounding circular economy, exchange, repair, and sustainable consumption, this is certainly inspiring. From a global perspective, however, it is always important to emphasize that in Germany this is based on secure waste management infrastructure with material and thermal recovery, and that no untreated municipal waste is wasted in landfills.