Just a few years ago, there were discussions about closing landfills. But the areas are still needed, for example for the landfilling of non-radioactive waste from the dismantling of nuclear power plants or broken tar from road construction, but also for energy generation using photovoltaics. How this change can be mastered was the topic of the Landfill Forum 2021 under the patronage of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy Management Baden-Württemberg and the scientific leadership of Prof. Martin Kranert, Chair of Waste Management and Emissions of the Faculty.
"Landfills are an indispensable part of our waste management infrastructure. However, as an increasingly scarce resource, landfills are increasingly becoming the focus of public and political attention," emphasized outgoing Minister Franz Untersteller (MdL) in a welcoming address to the conference. Helmfried Meinel, Ministerial Director at the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Energy Management, added: "Landfills for waste that cannot be recycled or treated further continue to be an important part of public services and the circular economy."
For example, landfill capacity is needed for the storage of stone- and earth-like material such as construction waste from decommissioned nuclear power plants, road construction or from the renovation of facades containing asbestos - which gives rise to a number of safety and recycling issues. On the other hand, the large brownfields - keyword re-use - can be built on with photovoltaic systems and are thus an important resource for the implementation of the energy turnaround.
Prof Martin Kranert, ISWA of the Faculty (left), and Helmfried Meinel, Ministerial Director at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy Management Baden-Württemberg in the live stream.
Photo: mediastudios.tv, Leonberg
Accordingly, the technical spectrum of the conference was broad and topical, with 250 experts and interested parties from science, authorities, public waste management authorities and engineering practice meeting via livestream to exchange ideas due to the pandemic. The topics "Landfill construction and climate protection", "Landfilling of waste from the dismantling of nuclear power plants", "Road rubble containing tar", "Dismantling of reinforced concrete structures containing asbestos", "Reuse of landfills for energy generation by means of photovoltaics", "Logistics and disposal in the construction of high-speed rail lines", "Digitalization at landfills" or "The treatment of PFC-contaminated landfill wastewater" up to "Estimation of the cost development at landfills" met with great interest among the participants. In discussion rounds these questions were further deepened.
The conference was organized by the Forschungs- und Entwicklungsinstitut für Industrie- und Siedlungswasserwirtschaft sowie Abfallwirtschaft e.V. (FEI) (Research and Development Institute for Industrial and Urban Water Management and Waste Management) and the Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA) of the Faculty, Chair of Waste Management and Emissions, in cooperation with the Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Energy Management Baden-Württemberg and the Landesanstalt für Umwelt Baden-Württemberg (LUBW) (State Institute for the Environment Baden-Württemberg), Karlsruhe. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
| Contact | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Kranert, Chair of Waste Management, Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management, University of Stuttgart, Bandtäle 2, D-70569 Stuttgart, +49 711 685-65500, Fax +49 711 685-65460, martin.kranert@iswa.uni-stuttgart.de |
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