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Furthermore in this issue:

aktuell1.2015

Smooth Running of ecovio BagsInvestigation of Dry Fermentation and Further Composting

p. 2

Adapting to the Change in Climate is Constantly Beco-ming More Importantbifa supports the State Capital in Wor-king Out a Concept of the Measures

p. 3

Waste Management Concept for the Regional Waste Management AssociationMeasures for 500,000 citizens

By the end of 2014, the Waste Ma-nagement Association was responsible only for the disposal of non-recyclable waste and for the collection and uti-lisation of biowaste from the area of the Association. In the course of an expansion of responsibilities in the area of waste management, a uniform waste management concept was to be developed for all members of the Association. Admittedly, until now, there were concepts for the individu-al members of the association within their own responsibilities. However, until now, there was no integrated, own waste management concept for the Regional Waste Management As-sociation, so that the task consisted of presenting the activities of the indivi-dual waste management members and combining them into a common waste management concept, which is directed towards the future. >>

In accordance with § 21 of the Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz (KrWG) (Recycling Law), public waste ma-nagement authorities have to pro-vide waste management concepts for avoiding, utilising and recy-cling as well as eliminating wa-ste that arises in their area and is transferred to them. The requi-rements in this connection depend on state law. In accordance with the regulations in the Rheinland-Pfalz District waste management and recycling law, waste manage-ment concepts were to be drawn up and presented to the responsi-ble authorities by the end of 2014. bifa was entrusted by the regional Trier Waste Management Associa-tion (A.R.T.) with the city of Trier and the district of Trier-Saarburg to draw up a joint waste manage-ment concept.

Once again, we have assembled a wide range of subjects in our spring edition.

You will learn more about our waste management projects for the regional Trier Waste Management Association and the Technical University of Brünn. In addition, we report the smooth running of ecovio bags during dry fermentati-on and further composting. The city of Munich is supporting bifa at the present time with the development of a concept

for adapting to climate change, while a further step is already being taken in Baar, Holzheim, Münster and Thierhaup-ten in the direction of a turnaround in energy policy.

Have fun reading this material!

Dear Readers, Dear Partners and Customers of bifa,

Yours, Wolfgang Rommel

Konsul Discusses Metal Raw Materials with ExpertsFirst discussions in the technical centre attracted 140 participants to Augsburg

p. 4

Konsul Discusses Metal Raw Materials with ExpertsFirst discussions in the technical centre attracted 140 participants to Augsburg

Approximately 140 guests participated on 3-4-2015 in the first discussions in the technical centre of the bifa Environmen-tal Institute. In keynote speeches, experts showed their point of view in connection with the subject of „Metal Raw Materials - Much Wind About Nothing?“ and, during the podium discussion, answered the que-stions by the moderator and by the general public.

bifa manager, Prof. Wolfgang Rommel raised the subject and justified why, from a scientific perspective, there can be no true scarcity of metals. However, he em-phasized that it will be more expensive in the future to recover these raw mate-rials. Dr. Siegfried Kreibe (bifa) explained that China, because of its significance as a producer and also as a consumer of metals, can influence world market prices. However, he also pointed out the great backlog demand of the country.The United States, like Germany, depends

on the import of metal raw materials. William E. Moeller (US General Consul) promoted free worldwide markets and confirmed good trade relationships with Germany.

Dr. Hubertus Bardt of the Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft (Institute of the German Economy) indicated the German perspectives. Since rare metals typical-ly are used in very small amounts, their price actually does not generally play a major role for industry. According to Friedel Hütz-Adams of Südwind, the use of metals can become an image problem for German companies if the consumer learns of poor working conditions in mi-nes and the disregard of environmental standards. He recommends that compa-nies provide clarity concerning the origin of the raw materials in that they shorten the supply chains, which frequently are very complicated. That there are pro-blems is also confirmed by Prof. Her-

mann Wotruba (RWTH Aachen), a mining expert. However, due to the available techniques, there are also many positive examples of a social and environmental-compatible mining.

Many questions were directed to the speakers during the subsequent podium discussion. These were about efficiency and the legal framework as the driving force of recycling and about the im-portance of product design for the use and recycling of the material. However, the great importance of the consumer for the consumption of metal raw mate-rials was also a subject.

The energy transition can be put into practice on a municipal level if solutions are found which are environmentally and consumer friendly for the commu-nities and accepted by the population. Support for the „local fit“ project, pro-moted by BMBF, is offered by bifa and the University of Munich for this pro-cess, which frequently is conflict-laden in the case of wind parks or power lines.

All 2,699 households in Baar, Holz-heim, Münster and Thierhaupten were contacted by mail with the request to fill out a questionnaire developed spe-cifically for the region. Two-thirds of all the people from Baar, who were questi-oned, indicated that they had concer-ned themselves „very much“ or „much“ with the subject of energy transition. However, in this connection, the citizens of Baar, more frequently than those of other communities, fear the negative consequences, such as „major interven-

tions in the landscape“ or „increasing annoyance due to noise and odour (due to wind turbines or biomass installa-tions)“. In spite of the sceptical attitude to energy transition, the wind park with four wheels, which was currently requested by the Uhl company at the Baar mountain, was not rejected com-pletely – on the contrary: a majority of 54.6% voted for the construction of at least one of the four planned installa-tions, while 43.4% declined all of them. Nevertheless, the subject of wind en-ergy in Baar remains disputed and, in answer to the question of alternatives, a large majority in each case: 60 to

70% favoured photovoltaic roof in-stallations, solar heat and heat pumps, because these „can easily be put into practice“, „fit well into the landscape“ and „are useful economically“.

On the basis of the results of the survey, bifa employees will closely examine the consumption of private households, the heating installations operated and the renovation condition of the buildings. At a first business meeting with members of the local council, information concer-ning municipal real estate and local busi-nesses, real estate and trade, will also be compiled. Subsequently, it will be inve-stigated whether a common heat supply for several real estate properties or for supplying human settlement represents an attractive solution for the communi-ty. This is to be put into concrete terms in further workshops, to which all members of the community of Baar are invited.Contact: Dr. Michael Schneidermschneider@bifa.de

The Energy Transition in the CommunityResults of the Household Survey in Baar, Holzheim, Münster and Thierhaupten

Contact: Sonja D‘Intronosdintrono@bifa.de

2 3

• The objectives of the recycling economy and the communal ma-terial flow management

• Measures taken and planned for the communal material flow ma-nagement

• Identification of material flow po-tentials on a local and supra-local level

• Interlinking of collecting and uti-lisation structures and the acting stakeholders

• Measures made and planned in accordance with the waste hierar-chy in its temporal sequence and with evaluating their environmen-tal compatibility

• Justifying the need for waste eli-mination; in particular, data con-cerning unusability of inventories

• Planned disposal ways, as well as data concerning necessary loca-tion planning and plant planning

The basic structure of the waste management concept

corresponds to the waste hierarchy in the KrWG and contains a repre-sentation of individual flows of ma-terials. For each flow of material, the individual situation and the results of each association member will be shown, including a summary for the waste management association. In-dividual concepts for Association members can be separated and the focus remains on a regional overall concept in the Association area. It was the objective of this build-up and representation that each Asso-ciation member separately identifies with the waste management concept in order to take into account the waste management specifics of the Association members. When viewed as a whole, the concept represents a unit.

and their time sequence• Cost estimates of the planned

measures

The waste management facilities were inspected on site for obtaining data and recording the individual specifics in the districts and the city of Trier.

Within six months, there was a waste management concept for more than 500,000 citizens, which, aside from all relevant legal determining factors, was specific for the material flows for all stages of waste hierarchy, which represents the measures and plans of waste management in the waste ma-nagement area.

>>

Contact: Markus Hertelmhertel@bifa.de

composting of the residues of the fer-mentation.

When used in the household, the eco-vio biowaste bag offers a good barri-er function, which protects the user from dirt and hygienic contamination. At the same time, the bags reduce the premature biological degradation of the biowaste, so that larger amounts of biowaste and waste potentially forming biogas reach the utilisation installation. However, the bags are heavily stressed mechanically during their collection and transport in the garbage truck.

The investigations showed that, when the biowaste was delivered, only small portions of the biowaste were still en-closed in the biobags. The contents of the biowaste bag are also available, without prior treatment, for biologi-cal degradation when delivered to the fermentation installation. This is con-firmed by comparative investigations of the fermentation residues. The residual biogas formation potential of fermentation residues, which con-tained pre-destroyed ecovio biowaste

bags under almost practical condi-tions, did not differ significantly from fermentation residues, which were treated without biowaste bags in the reactor of a mesophilic dry fermen-tation installation. During the sub-sequent further composting, which lasted only 39 days, the intensive rot-ting processes disintegrated the eco-vio bags completely. Interfering residues of the ecovio bi-owaste bags were no longer visible or present in the finished compost. The quality parameters of the checked compost did not reveal any effect of the biowaste bags on the quality of the compost.

For ecovio biowaste bags of BASF SE, used to collect biowaste from households, the biodegradability in various composting installations was confirmed within the scope of stan-dardized certification tests, as well as in practical use. For some years, bio-waste has been used increasingly in in-stallations, which utilise the biowaste initially in fermentation plants for the recovery of biogas. The solid residues of the fermentation are utilised subse-quently in further composting to orga-nic fertilisers.

The biowaste plastics, developed in the past for biowaste bags, are broken down biologically to a small extent in fermentation installations. Since the residues of the fermentation contain less biologically degradable material than biowaste, they are composted further, only for a few weeks. For this reason, an investigation was to clarify whether biowaste bags from the eco-vio bioplastic affect the fermentation of biowaste in a dry fermentation in-stallation and whether there is suffi-cient biological disintegration of the biowaste bags during the subsequent

Smooth Running of ecovio BagsInvestigation of Dry Fermentation and Further Composting

Contact: Dr. Klaus Hoppenheidtkhoppenheidt@bifa.de

Adapting to the Change in Climate is Constantly Becoming More Important

bifa supports the State Capital in Working Out a Concept of the Measures

The City Council of Munich is taking a large step in the direction of adapting to the consequences of climate change. In a general assembly, the City Council initially decided to have an implemen-tation-oriented concept of „adapting to climate change in the State Capital of Munich“ developed. bifa was now instructed to support the Department of Health and the Environment in this task and to coordinate the collabora-tion of all city departments and offices affected.

Aside from the Deutsche Anpassungs-strategie an den Klimawandel (DAS) (German Strategy for Adapting to the Climate Change), there is, meanwhi-le, an increasing number of adapting strategies at the level of the states, the planning regions and the municipalities. More and more cities and communities no longer limit their activities only to the subject of „protecting the climate and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases). In view of the increasing ave-rage temperatures and the increasing extreme weather events, they are, in-stead, also endeavouring to prevent the

consequences of a climate change, for example, by flood control or a city gree-ning process.

In the project, now commissioned by the state capital of Munich, „Adapting to Climate Change“ is now understood to be a cross-sectional task, for which a departmental-overlapping project group was set up to cope with and control the process. bifa, together with its subcontractor, the Institut für öko-logische Wirtschaftsforschung (IÖW), and the city project group will deve-lop an inventory of, as far as possible, concrete measures in the five fields of

„health“,“ city development and green spaces“, „buildings and parks“, „water and precipitation“ as well as „land uti-lisation and the ecosystem“. Moreover, its feasibility will also be checked, a mo-nitoring concept for evaluating whether the goal has been reached will be set up, and a plan for public relations will be developed.

The adaptation concept and the final report should be in hand by the end of April, 2016.

Contact: Dr. Michael Schneidermschneider@bifa.de

Collecting Recyclables in the Czech RepublicRealistic Targets for the Separate Collection of Household Waste

In the Czech Republic, the predomi-nant part of urban waste is landfilled. Within the scope of a joint research project, the Technical University of Brünn is investigating possibilities for following other procedures in waste management.

A part of this work is to estimate the amount of waste that will be available in the future for generating energy. Use for energy competes with use as a material. According to official stati-stics, approximately 30% of urban wa-ste is utilised separately. We therefore have far to go before the specifications of the EU Waste Guideline (50% colle-

ction of recyclables) is reached. In the actualisation of the waste manage-ment plan, which was decided upon at the end of 2014, the Czech Ministry for the Environment has specified de-manding degrees of utilisation, such as 80% of the sales packaging, put on the market.

For the Technical University of Brünn, bifa is investigating the recovery rates that can be achieved for paper, glass, plastics, metals and biowaste under different boundary conditions, and the measures, with which higher recovery rates can be attained. Only a portion of the material collected is suitable for

Contact: Markus Hertelmhertel@bifa.de

being recycled. The proportion of wa-ste from sorting activities that can be used for energy is estimated on the ba-sis of experience in Bavaria. With that, the basis for realistic targets for sepa-rate waste collection of recyclable ma-terials is created in order to estimate the amount of waste available in the future for its energy value.

M. Nagy | Stadt München