Annual General Meeting, Forum & Summer Party 2026
Annual General Meeting, Forum & Summer Party 2026
Exchange in a Relaxed Atmosphere on the Rhine
On August 27, our annual General Meeting and Summer Party took place at Rheinblick 741 in Düsseldorf. This year, around 100 guests attended, which we were very pleased about.
Following our 7th ordinary General Meeting, the event continued with our forum “Circular Economy on the Rhine and Ruhr.” The forum was moderated by Professor Faulstich. Speakers from politics, science, and business presented innovative ideas and current approaches to municipal circular economy from different perspectives:
Jochen Kral, Deputy Mayor for the Environment of the state capital Düsseldorf, showed how the city supports charitable waste collection campaigns and waste prevention measures. He also gave insights into the city’s approaches to decarbonizing and digitalizing Düsseldorf’s waste management.
In the following presentation, “The Future of Packaging,” our doctoral candidate Konstantin Saure addressed the potential for waste prevention in urban areas and gave an outlook on future applications of reusable systems in retail.
Prof. Dr. Rainer Wallmann, Chairman of the Management Board of EDG Entsorgung Dortmund GmbH, then demonstrated how innovative approaches can be put into practice. He presented alternative methods for recycling foliage, the conversion of vehicle fleets to climate-friendly drive systems, and the development and implementation of the Dortmund-Nordost Landfill Energy Park.
Finally, Dr. Armin Vogel of dravo Consult, with his presentation “Recyclable Material Return with Citizen Incentives,” offered a deliberately disruptive perspective on waste fees and collection systems, providing an exciting impetus for discussion on how the circular economy can be rethought in the future.
The day concluded with the Summer Party right on the banks of the Rhine: amid food, drinks, summery temperatures, and a relaxed atmosphere, members and guests took the opportunity to exchange ideas, make new contacts, and round off the evening together.
We would like to sincerely thank the members and guests for their participation, the speakers of the forum for their presentations, and everyone who contributed to the success of the day.
Circular Economy in Focus: The INZIN Institute at IFAT 2026
Ewa Harlacz
This year’s IFAT fair in Munich once again offered great opportunities to learn more about circular economy trends and to exchange ideas with industry stakeholders. Last week, the INZIN Institute was represented at the fair with a comprehensive program.
On the first day of the fair, a successful Career Day was held in collaboration with EEW, attended by over 40 students, doctoral candidates, and faculty members from Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, the University of Augsburg, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
On Wednesday, Prof. Faulstich took part in a panel discussion organized by the BDE on the topic of “Circular Economy for Germany as an Industrial Location,” alongside senior executives and representatives from Remondis, Mercedes-Benz Trucks Deutschland, PreZero, and the BDI initiative “Circular Economy.”
On the final day of the fair, Professor Faulstich and Jochen Hoffmeister of Prognos AG presented the Roadmap 2045 on behalf of ITAD, offering insights into the “Perspectives of Thermal Waste Treatment in the Context of the Circular Economy.”
We would like to sincerely thank our partners for the many formats, and we are already looking forward to the next IFAT.
Sabrin Omri
Ewa Harlacz
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
E-Mail: sabrin.omri(at)inzin.de
Bio
Since 2024, Ms. Sabrin Omri has been with the INZIN Institute, initially as a student assistant and, since 2026, as Media Representative.
Visit to Freiburg
Visit to the Environmental Office and Waste Management Operations Freiburg
In mid-July, Dr. Ewa Harlacz and Prof. Martin Faulstich of the INZIN Institute visited the Environmental Office as well as the waste management operations of the city of Freiburg. The focus of the expert visit was a tour of the facilities of Abfallwirtschaft und Stadtreinigung Freiburg GmbH (ASF), where the participants were able to gain firsthand insight into the operational processes.
Particularly impressive was the fleet of hydrogen-powered waste collection vehicles operated by ASF. It vividly demonstrates how climate-friendly drive technologies are already proving themselves today in the demanding day-to-day operations of waste collection, representing an important building block on the path toward more sustainable street cleaning. The use of these vehicles also underscores ASF’s commitment to gradually making its vehicle fleet more climate-friendly while meeting the high requirements for reliability and range in daily collection operations.
A special thanks goes to Managing Director Michael Broglin for the warm welcome and the fascinating insights on site.
Conference on the transition away from raw materials: metals
Current challenges and opportunities for metal supply in a global context
The conference ‘Raw Materials Transition Metals’ in Tutzing offered numerous exciting ideas and intensive discussions on the sustainable use of metals. The conference team, consisting of Prof. Christoph Helbig, Dr. Martin Held, Prof. Kora Kristof and Prof. Klaus Kümmerer, kicked off the event with a warm welcome to the participants. The event focused on the transformation from a linear economy to a circular economy with resource conservation of metals.
The conference focused on current challenges and opportunities for metal supply in a global context. In an interactive format, participants discussed acute supply bottlenecks for critical technology metals in particular. In addition, exciting contributions were presented in the thematic block on sustainable metal use, for example on digital transformation and CO2-reducing technologies in steel production.
The mix of specialist presentations, working groups, discussions and personal conversations made the conference a very insightful event that highlighted concrete steps for implementing the raw materials transition in metals.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the conference team for organising this exciting event.
Interview with Hartmut Haeming
Chairman of the Board of InwesD – German Landfill Operators Association in conversation with Konstantin Saure
The necessity and technical feasibility of recovering phosphorus from sewage sludge is a widely discussed topic within the environmental industry. Nevertheless, the expansion of appropriate facilities is lagging behind, so concepts are needed to bridge the gap. In this interview, our speaker, Konstantin Saure, talks to Hartmut Haeming, CEO of InwesD – Interessengemeinschaft Deutscher Deponiebetreiber e.V. (Association of German Landfill Operators) – about the role of temporary storage of sewage sludge ash in landfills, and the many issues that still need to be resolved. The interview has been published in the current issue of the Springer trade journal Wasser und Abfall (Water and Waste). We would like to thank Mr Haeming for his fascinating insights, and Gabi Gerhardt, Markus Porth, and Florian Bischof from the editorial team for organising and conducting the interview.
Invitation to Career Day at E-world 2026
© E-world energy & water
Register now for E-world 2026!
Are you interested in entering the energy industry, would you like to get to know exciting companies and talk directly to executives? Then we cordially invite you to the Career Day at the Trading Hub Europe GmbH stand at E-world 2026 in Essen!
Date: 12 February 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: E-world energy & water in Essen, Trading Hub Europe GmbH stand
What to expect:
Speed dating with executives: In short conversations, you will have the opportunity to get to know executives from Trading Hub Europe GmbH’s shareholder companies personally, introduce yourself and ask questions about jobs, entry opportunities and career paths.
Job exchange on site: Companies post current job vacancies, internships and thesis projects on our job board. At the same time, you can post your own search queries and profiles directly, easily and visibly for potential employers.
Tours on the fair: Guided tours will introduce you to other companies in the energy industry and give you additional insights into the various fields of activity and job opportunities.
Table football tournament: During the lunch break, we invite you to take part in a table football tournament. A little surprise awaits the winners!
Snacks and drinks will of course be provided at the Trading Hub Europe GmbH stand during Career Day.
In order to better estimate the number of participants, we kindly ask you to register briefly by email, stating your degree programme and university, at klara.theobald(at)inzin.de.
Please note that in order to attend Career Day, you will also need a free Trade fair ticket for students for Career Day via the official E-world ticket shop must be booked in advance.
Career Day offers you an ideal opportunity to make valuable contacts and take the next step towards starting your career.
We look forward to welcoming you at the Trading Hub Europe GmbH stand!
Interview with Hartmut Haeming on phosphorus from sewage sludge
Konstantin Saure interviews the CEO of InwesD
The necessity and technical feasibility of recovering phosphorus from sewage sludge is a widely discussed topic within the environmental industry. Nevertheless, the expansion of appropriate facilities is lagging behind, so concepts are needed to bridge the gap. In this interview, our speaker, Konstantin Saure, talks to Hartmut Haeming, CEO of InwesD – Interessengemeinschaft Deutscher Deponiebetreiber e.V. (Association of German Landfill Operators) – about the role of temporary storage of sewage sludge ash in landfills, and the many issues that still need to be resolved. The interview has been published in the current issue of the Springer trade journal Wasser und Abfall (Water and Waste). We would like to thank Mr Haeming for his fascinating insights, and Gabi Gerhardt, Markus Porth, and Florian Bischof from the editorial team for organising and conducting the interview.
Carina Diemel at the round table on circular value creation
© Runder Tisch Zirkuläre Wertschöpfung NRW
Themed table metal
The Metal Working Group of the Round Table for Circular Value Creation NRW supports the transformation of the metal industry towards a climate-neutral circular economy.
For the second time, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was an opportunity for various players in the value chain, as well as people from science and politics, to come together. This enabled an exchange of ideas on concrete solutions and technologies in the areas of circular design, modularity, digital product passports and scrap quality. Prof. Dr. Martin Faulstich and our doctoral student Carina Diemel were also in attendance.
The meeting of stakeholders showed in the discussion that only through cooperation and collaboration between all parties can circular approaches in the metal industry be advanced.
There are already some exciting examples of circular economy strategies being implemented. Examples include offsee GmbH / ID Lab, Outokumpu and TSR Group GmbH & Co. KG – Recycling.
The theme table plans to continue discussing higher R strategies and their implementation at upcoming meetings.
More on the metal theme table: Metal theme table – Round table
Carina Diemel & Klara Theobald at the 10th Japan Get-together
Presentation of the Talent Campus degree programmes
On 22 October 2025, our two scholarship holders and speakers, Carina Diemel and Klara Theobald, had the opportunity to participate in the 10th Japan Get-together at the EUREF Campus Düsseldorf and present the courses offered by the Talent Campus Düsseldorf on behalf of our chairman, Prof. Dr. Martin Faulstich. The event was organised by the Japan Desk of the City of Düsseldorf’s Economic Development Agency and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Düsseldorf. Japanese companies based in Düsseldorf are informed about new projects and developments in Düsseldorf at this event.
After welcoming remarks by Ms Annette Klerks (Deputy Head of Economic Development), Mr Masakazu Tachikawa (Managing Director of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and Mr Jörg Philippi-Gerle (Site Manager of the EUREF Campus Düsseldorf), our scholarship holders presented the new master’s programmes offered by the Talent Campus at the EUREF Campus Düsseldorf. This was followed by an exciting tour of the EUREF Campus led by Mr Jörg Philippi-Gerle, with stops at the Club Zukunft and the energy centre, among other places, and interesting presentations by Ms Hannah Beckschulte, Mr Florian Fuchs and Mr Jonas Schnorrenberg from Stadtwerke Düsseldorf.
The event concluded with a networking get-together with representatives from the participating Japanese companies.
A big thank you to Ms Juliane Neu and everyone else involved for the invitation and the excellent organisation of this successful event.