Vom Abfall als Problem zum Abfall als Ressource

The way in which natural resources are used in the future is one of the global key challenges. Main drivers for a potential resource crisis are the expected growth of the world population, the depletability of resources and the limited carrying capacity of ecosystems.
The main assumption of this book is that European secondary law in place related to waste management and product design is inappropriate to create new business models under the paradigm of a circular economy. In a first step the general European rules for the treatment of municipal waste are focused followed by an analysis of two specific waste streams, namely bio-waste and waste on electrical and electronical equipment. While the first stream is a veritable stock for fertilizing products, the latter one consists of different rare metals. By this approach this book provides several conceptual options to further develop the European waste and product law to make a circular economy in Europe happen.