Working group "Future Waste & Waste Management"

Waste Management

The working group Future Waste & Waste Management is primarily concerned with systemically oriented issues of waste management and the life cycle assessment of waste management material flows and processes.

One focus of the working group is the systematic recording and evaluation of fire events in waste and resource management.

In addition, ways and implementation potentials are sought and researched in order to make waste management companies and their processing, treatment and recycling processes more sustainable or climate-neutral.

Future Waste

Wastes of the future (so-called Future Wastes) are characterized by the fact that they

1. potentially show scientific and technological advances,
2. are often technologically very complex, and
3. have already entered the anthropogenic stock within a (short) period of time or will do so in the near future.

This usually results in special waste management conditions such as

1. the lack of specialized treatment and recovery pathways,
2. low initial volumes but high rates of increase in waste generation, and
3. resulting major challenges for disposal and recycling operations.

The working group therefore focuses on the challenges of these partly "novel" waste streams and their special characteristics.

Three successfully completed research projects in the field of "Future Wastes" are highlighted here as examples:

1. LIBRES & LCA
2. BAT-Safe - Impacts and risk analysisBAT-Safe of batteries in waste management systems
3. PVRe2 - Sustainable photovoltaics

Ongoing projects of the WG

• Holistic recycling of photovoltaic modules
  Short title: PVReValue // Project start: 2023
  
  
• Detection and separation of portable batteries from mixed waste using sensor technology and artificial intelligence
  Short title: DeB-AT // Project start: 2023
  
  
• Development of a functional recycling process for lithium-ion traction batteries from mobility applications
  Short title: MoLIBity // Project start: 2023
  
  
• Data- and AI-supported human-centred zero defect manufacturing for sustainable production
  Short title: Zero3 // Project start: 2022
  
  

• Climate assessment of the Austrian waste management industry
  Short title: Klima+A // Project start: 2022

• Future Lithium Ion Battery Recycling for Recovery of Critical Raw Materials
  Short title: FuLIBatteR // Project start: 2022

Other contract research projects (commissioned directly by companies, so we cannot list them here)

Organization of the waste management and recycling conference Recy & DepoTech

Completed projects of the WG (in the last years)

• Development and application of safe, clean and efficient incineration technology for combustible industrial solid waste
  Short title: DASCE Tec // Project period: 2020 - 2023
  
  
• Sustainable Photovoltaics
  Short title: PVRe2 // Project period: 2018 - 2022
  
  
• Innovation network fire protection in waste management, disposal and recycling
  Short title: AbER innovation // Project period: 2019 - 2022
  
  
• Development of a thermochemical pre-treatment, for the low calorific value fraction from the mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) in Burgenland, for material recycling 
  Short title: Waste2Material // Project period: 2019 - 2022
  
  
• Study on the systemic interaction of decarbonization and circular economy using the example of industry in Austria
  Short title: Studie Klimaneutralität (Climate neutrality study) // Project period: 2022
  
  
• Overall process for the safe handling of battery electric vehicles from the accident site to the recovery point
  Short title: RECOVER-E // Project period: 2021 - 2022
  
  
• Zero Waste Concept for a Sustainable Car Factory
  Short title: Zero Waste Concept // Project period: 2021 - 2022
  
  
• Green Tech Radar „Next Loops Closed”
  Short title: Next Loops Closed // Project period: 2021 - 2022
  
  
• Developing the Lithium-ion battery value chain for recycling in Austria
  Short title: LIBRAT // Project period: 2020 - 2021
  
  
• Qualitative and quantitative determination of the metal content of slag samples and estimation of the energy and greenhouse gas saving potential through recycling
  Short title: Treibhausgas // Project period: 2021
  
  
• Concept study - New vending machine technology for beverages with returnable packaging with automated return option
  Short title: MultiWay // Project period: 2020 - 2021
  
  
• Reduction of resource consumption and plastic waste production in the production and distribution of frozen pizzas
  Short title: PizzaPack // Project period: 2020 - 2021
  
  
• Background on the European market for triangular rent converters
  Short title: TurnerMarket // Project period: 2020
  
  
• Presentation at a sales training on 20.1.2020 on the topic „Contaminations and impurities of compost“
  Short title: ConPres // Project period: 2020
  
  
• Waste management analysis and evaluation with recommendations
  Short title: FreiCheck // Project period: 2019 - 2020
  
  
• Possibilities for the implementation of the EU requirements regarding beverage containers, deposit system and reusable packaging
  Short title: BottlePose // Project period: 2019 - 2020
  
  
• Preparatory work for obtaining a new decision on the landfill cover Allerheiligen
  Short title: AllSaintsCover // Project period: 2018 - 2020

• Processing capability of a new insulation technology for refrigerators on an industrial scale 
  Short title: NewFridgeRec2 // Project period: 2018 - 2020
  
  
• Investigation of the suitability of disposables from post-washing raw materials as substrate for fermentation in biogas plants 
  Short title: OneWay2Gas // Project period: 2018 - 2020

• ReOil depolymerisation of post-consumer plastics
  Short title: ReOil // Project period: 2017 - 2020
  
  
• Establishment of a 2-stage biotechnological process for the production of (iso)butanol from CO₂ and waste materials
  Short title: Bio-ABC // Project period: 2017 - 2020
  
  
• Harmonization of waste management concepts from eight BFI locations
  Short title: WasteHarmony // Project period: 2018 - 2019

Other contract research projects (commissioned directly by companies, so we cannot list them here)

Group members of the WG

Leader of the WG

Dr. Thomas Nigl
Recycling

Assistants

Dipl.-Ing. Ferozan Azizi
Future Waste and Waste Management

Mag. Therese Bouvier-Schwarz
Eco Design, Climate Footprints and Circular Economy

Elias Grath, B.Sc.Waste Management and Recycling

Dipl.-Ing. Richard Yaw Nti
CRMs, Material Science, Photovoltaics and Batteries

Susanne Roßkogler, MSc.
Life Cycle Assessment

Cornelia Rutkowski, BSc
Deposit Science and Structural Geology

Dipl.-Ing. Bettina Rutrecht
Battery Recycling, Plastic Recycling and Recycling Technologies

Student employees

• Jan-Paul Davidsen
• Florian Eregger
• Veronika Kanzler
• Christina Kienreich
• Sebastian Köhler
• Stefan Morgenbesser
• Patrick Schadl

With the following form you can directly contact the leader of the working group Mister Dr. Thomas Nigl.