25 years’ bifa Umweltinstitut - Talk im Technikum: Is Germany’s waste industry still top?

“What does top in the waste industry actually mean?” asked bifa’s Managing Director, Prof. Wolfgang Rommel. What is important: high recycling rates, low environmental impact or small quantities of waste, low charges or money in the right pockets? It was discussed whether we in Germany are still talking about the right topics. Have we rested on our laurels too much? Are we too perfectionistic? Do we now tend more to popular activities than effective measures?

These and other questions concerning the German waste industry were discussed by national and international experts in a podium discussion.

bifa then celebrated its 25-year anniversary. Prof. Rommel referred to the more than 1,000 projects that bifa had worked on during this time with 40 employees. bifa is not a typical research institute: “We don’t just want to publish articles in trade magazines. We want our ideas to be implemented.”

In his address, State Secretary Franz Josef Pschierer highlighted the successful work of bifa far beyond Bavaria and Augsburg’s Mayor, Dr. Kurt Gribl and Dr. Andreas Kopton, President of the IHK Augsburg, also emphasised the importance of the institute for Swabian environmental competence.