The scarcity and rising prices of raw materials and energy on the one hand and the contamination of the soil, air and water resources on the other hand increasingly threaten the sustainable development of the industrial sector and of the developing countries alike. Both aspects are closely interconnected with waste management. Worldwide consumption of raw materials is on the rise and thus leads to a steady increase in quantities of waste.

The group aims at contributing technical input on the following tasks:

• Developing an environmentally and socially compatible waste and resources management
• Promoting waste avoidance, substance reuse and energy recovery
• Reducing greenhouse gases through improved recycling
• Improving settlement hygiene in the cities of developing countries

Waste and resources management is of key importance in protecting public health, the environment, the climate and our water resources. It has relevant points of contact with spatial and urban development and contributes to the securing of the business environment through the supply of raw materials and (renewable) energy.

Waste from one process can be seen as material or energy resource for another process. A holistic view is needed to achieve an ideal use of waste materials. This does not exclude the minute analysis of the fate of individual material groups (e.g. selected hazardous waste materials) and their impact on the environment.

We want to contribute to conserving material resources, optimising their use and developing and implementing environmentally compatible alternatives. For this, we not only work on technical and scientific issues but we also consider aspects of environmental policy and market economy, such as for instance the introduction of political measures that increase the prices of natural resources and thus reward resource-efficient behaviour.