Rockström developed with a group of distinguished scientists the Planetary Boundaries (PBs) as a guideline for humanity striving for sustainability. If we expand the waste
term to include all liquid, gaseous and solid residues from production and human activities then waste is the cause for the environmental destruction on our globe.
Plastic in the ocean, climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater use, over fertilising etc. are the result of poor waste management. read more

Plastics have brought a great convenience to our lives due to its high functionality and flexibility. In 2015, the amount of global plastic produced is 407 million tons, and it is expected to increase to 1,600 million tons by 2050. The increasing plastic waste have become urgent environmental issues such as resource and waste problems, marine plastic litter issues, and climate change. There are many international movements to overcome these issues. read more

The passage from a linear to a circular approach is characterizing the modern waste management strategies. The circular approach primarily arises from a growing need for primary raw material, as a consequence of global economic development Attention is shifting from the limited and fixed stocks of raw materials to the increasing anthropogenic stocks of materials This creates the base for the development of different strategies for recovering of resources from waste (urban mining, circular economy, etc.). read more

It is commonly assumed that there is no age limit to change mindset and behaviour. However, children and youth can easily pick up and understand environmental issues and can be
encouraged to act as agents of change for promoting and enabling change to happen within their extended family. read more

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is predominantly disposed by landfill and incineration all over the world. MSW composition is complex and tends to be complicated with the
socioeconomic development.
MSW is commonly regarded as a sink of various emerging pollutants related with anthropic activities. Thus, leachate from MSW shall be a source of these emerging pollutants derived
from landfills and waste-to-energy plants. read more

Approximately 10 million tonnes of plastics flow to the ocean each year. A range of measures to avoid plastic pollution include bans on plastic items, producer responsibility schemes and penalties for littering.
Another measure is the substitution of bioplastics into household consumer items. read more

Recent measurements from next generation emission measurement (technology indicate that methane emissions from U S landfills may be understated Remote sensing studies in California revealed that landfills were responsible for 41 of the State’s methane inventory, with 32 super emitting landfills identified.
A 2020 USEPA report concluded that air rules are being inconsistently implemented and enforced. read more

Thermochemical treatments of different kinds of solid waste are today able to provide a safe recovery of electric and thermal energy, an efficient recycling of
inorganic materials and a crucial saving of space for landfilling, in full compliance with the protection of human health and the environment. read more

At low earth orbits (LEO) particularly high collision velocities can occur. The potential risk of space debris is associated with the high kinetic energy that can occur during a
collision. The collision velocities on LEO are in the order of ten kilometres per second. A risk for active spacecraft exists from a particle diameter of about one millimeter. Above
this size, a satellite structure can be seriously damaged. read more

Already in the year 2016 the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations ´2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development officially came into force. Till the year 2030 countries worldwide shall mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change and other environmental challenges, while ensuring that no one is left behind (UN, 2018). read more

Satellite technologies and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have become common instruments for obtaining important analytical data in many fields. Although the use of remote sensing technologies at waste disposal sites has a more than ten year history, the active application of these technologies has increased in the last 3 4 years. Nowadays, satellite data and UAV are widely used in waste management, particularly for collecting data on solid waste landfills. read more

In the lecture the main key environmental problems concerning industrial activities are introduced full sustainability and its compatibility with pollutants and greenhouse gases reduction, energy efficiency and sources, circular economy concerning materials and water Different approaches useful for environmental protection are introduced concerning
wastes, with reference to the adoption of prevention policies, the use of economic and financial tools, the fixation of rules. read more

There are reports of landfills, permitted to accept municipal solid waste (MSW) and other non hazardous wastes, exhibiting temperatures in excess of 80 - 100°C in the U.S.. These temperatures are well above values typically associated with MSW landfills, which are reported to range between 40 and 65°C, and generally below 55°C. read more