Sigrid Kusch-Brandt

Through this assessment, the authors and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) secretariat are providing an objective evaluation and analysis of the pan-European environment designed to support environmental decision-making at multiple scales. In this assessment, the judgement of experts is applied to existing knowledge to provide scienti...

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is difficult to sustainably manage. One key issue is the challenge of planning for WEEE flows as current and future quantities of waste are difficult to predict. To address this, WEEE generation and gross domestic product (GDP) data from 50 countries of the pan-European region were assessed. A high e...

This paper investigates the Kuznets Curve hypothesis for e-waste using a balanced panel of 30 European countries (EU28+2) over the period 2000–2016. To account for the dynamic and the time-invariant characteristics, we employed the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator as a core method and used the 2SLS estimator and cross-section method to...

: Food production, processing, distribution and consumption are among the major contributors to global environmental change. At the same time, food systems need to effectively respond to the demands of a growing world population, and already today many communities and individuals are affected by food insecurity. Moving towards sustainable food valu...

Operators of commercial anaerobic digestion (AD) plants frequently note the challenge of transferring research results to an industrial setting, especially in matching well-controlled laboratory studies at a constant organic loading rate (OLR) with full-scale digesters subject to day-to-day variation in loadings. This study compared the performance...

As a forward-thinking approach, the circularity-oriented, bio-based economy paints a vision of a society whose material system is compatible with the biosphere while enabling prosperity and wellbeing for human populations today and in future. How can this vision become a reality? For the bioeconomy to indeed be a pathway to a sustainable future, it...

The Series 'Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals- Regional Perspectives' aims to support the acceleration needed for the implementation of the SDGs, by mobilising the academic community, industry and the civil society by generating information and communicating on experiences focusing on the SDGs deemed as being most important for the...

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a bio-based solution designed to convert organic materials into renewable energy and other products, such as soil improver and organic fertiliser [...]

Achieving high production with limited resources is a major challenge faced by poultry farmers in countries with developing economies, such as Pakistan. Optimization of the technical efficiency (TE) of poultry business operations is a promising strategy. A representative sample of 210 poultry farms in the province of Punjab in Pakistan was analyzed...

The seventh pan-European assessment reports on the state of the environment for the period until the end of 2021. It is intended to inform discussions and decision-making by ministers during the Ninth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference (Nicosia, 5–7 October 2022). It is the latest in a series of assessments dating back to 1995, with the...

Recycling of e-waste (waste electrical and electronic equipment) represents an important abatement of pressure on the environment, but recycling rates are still low. This study builds on common environmental economics approaches to identify the main driving forces of the e-waste recycling rate. The environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis was applied...

The combination of a post-Brexit agricultural policy, the Global Methane Pledge announced during the last United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), and urgency of meeting climate goals means the UK has a unique opportunity to create an exemplar through recognition of the benefits of small-scale farm anaerobic digesters that valor...

Previous studies have examined the relationship between total e-waste generation and its determinants. However, e-waste categories have not received appropriate attention, and thus important information is missing for policymakers. This paper advances the state of knowledge by studying e-waste categories individually. Statistical data of e-waste in...

As the anaerobic digestion of energy crops and crop residues becomes more widely applied for bioenergy production, planners and operators of biogas plants, and farmers who consider growing such crops, have a need for information on potential biogas and methane yields. A rich body of literature reports methane yields for a variety of such materials....

A wastewater refinery is a multifunctional solution that combines different technologies and processing schemes to recover a spectrum of valuable materials from municipal or industrial wastewater. The concept of wastewater refinery introduces a new perspective on wastewater treatment and management. It aims at making the most of wastewater constitu...

The volumes of waste electrical and electronic equipment are rapidly increasing worldwide. While the relationship between e-waste generation and economic growth has previously been studied, mismanaged e-waste has received little attention. This study examines the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis between economic growth and mismanagement...

The effect of pasteurisation and co-pasteurisation on biochemical methane potential values in anaerobic digestion (AD) was studied. Pasteurisation prior to digestion in a biogas plant is a common hygienisation method for organic materials which contain or have been in contact with animal by-products. Tests were carried out on food waste, slaughterh...

Moving towards a circular economy requires well-functioning recycling systems but also the implementation of effective product-life cycle extension schemes such as re-use, repair or refurbishment. A web-based analysis of the websites dedicated to informing the citizen about the private delivery of recyclables to the local recyclables collection cen...

Waste electrical and electronic equipment, or e-waste, is rapidly growing worldwide, but the determinants of growth in different countries are not well understood. This paper examines the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis at the world and continents levels using e-waste generation as the indicator of environmental degradation. The EKC hy...

An important opportunity for more sustainable development pathways in an urbanising world is missed where resources remain underutilised, when they could be valorised in a sound and environmentally favourable mode. This Special Issue of the journal Resources was initiated to identify promising solutions and specific challenges in the context of und...

Garden waste arising from private households represents a major component of the biodegradable municipal waste stream. To design effective waste valorisation schemes, detailed information about garden waste is a prerequisite. While the biochemical composition of this material is well documented, there is a lack of knowledge regarding both the quant...

While it is well known that particle size reduction impacts the performance of bioprocessing such as anaerobic digestion or composting, there is a relative lack of knowledge about particle size distribution (PSD) in pre-treated organic material, i.e., the distribution of particles across different size ranges. PSD in municipal solid waste (MSW) pre...

Published in June 2019, the new edition of the annually updated Renewables Global Status Report (GSR) compiles the most recent developments and trends in the adoption of renewable energies worldwide and in specific regions, countries and sectors. The report represents a rich resource for reliable and up-to-date information about individual renewabl...

The concept of wastewater refinery introduces a new concept of wastewater treatment and management that aims at extracting the most of wastewater components such as water, energy, nitrogen, phosphorous, to co-produce different valuable outputs. It represents a paradigmatic shift in wastewater management, and it is well aligned with the concept of c...

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), or e-waste, faces significant sustainability challenges. Characterised by high economic elasticity, i.e. a close correlation between WEEE generation and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), WEEE is one of the fastest growing waste streams worldwide. Hazardous components require attention, while at the same...

Value-added utilization of residues (by-products and wastes) from the industrial production of beverages is covered. Occurrence of by-products and wastes and their key characteristics are addressed. The assessment reveals that at least 60 million metric tons of bioresidues, and likely more than 100 million metric tons, occur each year during indust...

Biogenic gases, such as biogas from anaerobic digestion and landfill gas, are not necessarily produced in locations that offer the best possible opportunities to valorise the gas at highest efficiency. Local or regional biogas grids, also referred to as micro gas grids for biogas, open the opportunity to transport biogenic gases from the location o...

Due to the ever-growing demand for natural resources, wastewater is being considered an alternative source of water and potentially other resources. Using Qatar as an example, this study assesses the resources embodied in wastewater and paves the way to combine wastewater treatment with advanced resource recovery (water, energy, nitrogen, phosphoro...

According to FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, global annual charcoal production amounts to 52 million metric tons. Around half of the population in South America depends on forest-sourced resources (firewood, charcoal) to cover their basic energy needs, and in some countries large-scale industrial charcoal usage is...

Cogeneration, or combined heat and power production (CHP), delivers both electricity and heat simultaneously, which achieves high overall energy efficiency. Although CHP technologies are state of the art, and advantages of their adoption are well known, 70% (European Union) to 80% (worldwide) of the existing potential remains untapped. Initiatives...

Occurrence of WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment), or e-waste, is closely linked to the economic development stage of a country. Economic growth is today reliably accompanied by rising WEEE quantities. E-waste represents one of the fastest-growing waste steams worldwide. In addition to rising quantities, contents of e-waste merit high...

Implementation of cogeneration, which is also termed as combined heat and power production (CHP), achieves high energy efficiency degrees due to the simultaneous supply of electricity and heat. This paper explores the current situation of cogeneration throughout Europe and beyond. The technology today is state of the art. Despite clear environmenta...

Derived from the renewable energy source biomass, bioalcohol is a common biofuel along with biodiesel and biogas. Alcohol fuels are the most used alternative transport fuel in the world. Especially bioethanol is increasingly used. Within the last 15 years, world ethanol production has increased drastically (factor 5 since 2000). A review of market-...

Brief for the UN Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), 2016. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/science/crowdsourcedbriefs

Valorization of agro-industrial byproducts and wastes holds significant potential to increase sustainability of food systems. Utilization of complete material streams for production of animal feed, energy, compost and/or specific consumer applications is already widely implemented and experiences further dissemination. Fractionized valorization in...

- Scientific brief for the UN Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2016 - There is an urgent need to address interlinked sustainability issues in a world challenged by inequality, finite resources and unprecedented changes across Earth’s systems. As Future Earth Fellows, based on our collective expertise in a diverse range of sustainabilit...

Cooperatives for renewable energy are examples of proactive citizen initiatives aiming for implementation of alternative energy supply models. These initiatives not only result in higher shares of renewable energy, but at the same time represent alternative business models with the citizen as main actor and beneficiary, and in consequence challenge...

Cogeneration power plants simultaneously generate power and usable heat in a single, integrated system, which achieves a degree of overall efficiency that is much greater compared to electricity production alone. This makes better use of energy conversion and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Combined heat and power production is already relatively...

WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) is estimated to be one of the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide and in the EU. Due to its content of dangerous substances, it is considered and regulated as hazardous waste. At the same time WEEE is a potential source for recuperation of valuable materials, such as precious metals. This paper pr...

- Scientific brief for the UN Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2015 - Decoupling of resources use from economic growth is one of the central challenges of pathways towards a sustainable future. In this context, industrial symbiosis holds huge potential. While increased resource efficiency is one of its central aspects, industrial symbio...

(ISSC Book of Blogs) Urban renewable energy facilities owned by the community – what are they about, why are they important, and what are the challenges?

Despite the high potential to increase sustainability of food systems, wastes and by-products occurring in the food supply chain are currently only partially valorised at different value-added levels. First-generation valorisation strategies that aim at utilisation of complete material streams for production of animal feed, energy, compost and/or s...

Biomass is a resource that economically stands out from other types of resources. Implementation of bioeconomies based on more efficient and more versatile utilisation of biomass is in the focus of European and national agendas. At the same time, industrial ecology has emerged as central discipline aiming towards transferring sustainability ideas a...

In anaerobic digestion systems which are operated with a high content of total solids (so-called dry digestion) and without mixing the reactor content during digestion, the start-up phase is decisive to the overall success of the process. Mixing of biomass fractions prior to filling the substrate into the digester and management of the liquid phase...

The contemporary equine sector is market-driven, highly diverse, and of significant economic importance in the EU and elsewhere. Considerable distance to traditional agriculture is one of its main characteristics. Nevertheless, horse manure is a valuable resource for application as organic soil amendment and for renewable energy generation. Due to...

Huge amounts of food waste are generated worldwide. Efficient valorisation strategies ensure that embedded energy and resources are at least partially recuperated. Food waste is a highly biodegradable material with high water content, and as such well destined for biogas production through anaerobic digestion. In order to ensure successful implemen...

Separate collection of food waste from households is an efficient instrument for diversion of organic material from landfill to biological treatment. There is widespread consensus that source-segregated food waste is a suitable substrate for valorisation through anaerobic digestion with biogas production. Source-segregation concepts are adopted by...

Based on understanding that food poses one of the key challenges for future development in the coming decades, integrated research on the complex topic of food systems is recognized to be essential. Activities and concepts aiming to reduction of waste and losses of food are considered to be most promising options among possible measures to improve...

Commentary article discussing transition to a more efficient and sustainable food-energy system. The following key thoughts were highlighted by the publisher in the final publication: 1) To meet the needs of the 21st century, the creation of sustainable food systems has to be aligned with goals to reduce the use of nonrenewable energy, resilient ec...

Unlabelled: The increasing energy demand in Jordan, compounded with the country's limited natural resources as well as its dependence on importing fuel oil from neighboring countries, makes it indispensible to search for alternative fuels. The objective of this study is to analyze the potential use of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) as a supplementary f...

Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) is a topic of high concern due to increasing amounts, possible hazardous effects, but also with view to significant amounts of potentially recoverable materials and especially of elements with limited natural resources such as precious metals. This is particularly the case for electronic communicatio...

Long-term success of decentralized bioenergy projects in practice is not only based on reliable plant management by well-informed and attentive operators, but is heavily dependent on initial choice of appropriate technology and precise assessments during the planning phase. Learning from failed projects can be as efficient as learning from success...

Poster presentation.

Electronic waste (E-Waste), also called Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE), is a topic of high concern due to increasing amounts, possible hazardous effects, but also with view to significant amounts of potentially recoverable materials and especially of elements with limited natural resources such as precious metals. This is particul...

Complex zoo habitats with a variety of artificially designed near-natural habitats are characterized by a huge consumption of energy and resources, which contradicts the missions of biodiversity conservation and resources protection. Aside of environmental aspects and educational impact related to installations operated visible for the visitors and...

Implementation of local or regional biogas grids (so-called micro gas grids) is an intelligent concept with high potential to increase overall efficiency of the biogas production and utilisation chain. One of the main advantages associated with the concept is that biogas energy can be supplied to areas which are not well suited for placement of an...

It is difficult to compare the biogas yield of solid substrates from findings in literature because the substrate composition is rarely defined. This complicates not only the calculation of the potential biogas yield of a specific plant, but also the transferability of results to other sites and other countries (including municipal solid waste, sou...

Decoupling waste from economic growth is an efficient strategy for the conservation of natural resources and is a step forward for sustainable development. Recycling of e-waste is an efficient tool of dematerialization decoupling which offsets the consumption of natural resources significantly. It becomes more important when it comes to recycling c...

Among the negative effects of complex zoo habitats is a huge consumption of energy and resources, which is in direct contradiction with the zoo's basic missions of biodiversity conservation, research and education. Utilisation of organic wastes generated within a zoo's boundaries is one promising option towards improving the energy balance. This pr...

Oat husks, a by-product from mills, are suitable to be used as litter material in animal barns especially in regions with scarcity of straw or other bedding materials. The performance of oat husks in anaerobic digestion was studied. Total methane potential of oat husks and degradation over time for both untreated and ground oat husks were determine...

Editorial to Special Issue

Various leachate recirculation strategies were applied to a batch-wise operated solid-phase digestion system in laboratory-scale tests. Comparative experiments with both continuous and intermittent leachate recirculation revealed no advantages of a continuous flow. Results suggest that leachate recirculation should not be carried out continuously d...

This book chapter contains an overview of dry anaerobic digestion and includes descriptions of selected batch-operated and continuously operated full-scale plants.

The biogas yield of solidmanure from dairy cattle depends on its quality and the proportion of excreta and organic litter material contained within. The biogas yield of both faeces and straw is available in literature. Straw is a common litter material of mixed farms. However, straw is scarcely available on dairy farms. Oat husks are appropriate to...

The biogas yield of solid manure from dairy cattle depends on its quality and the proportion of excreta and organic litter material contained within. The biogas yield of both faeces and straw is available in literature. Straw is a common litter material of mixed farms. However, straw is scarcely available on dairy farms. Oat husks are appropriate t...

In all European countries various lignocellulosic biomasses such as agricultural residues (straw, strawcontaining dung) or fractions from municipal solid waste are available in large amounts, but currently hardly any of thispotential is being used for energy generation. This paper reviews the different options for including lignocellulosicbiomass i...

On March 12, 2009, the Landfill Seminar of the Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA) took place under the motto "The Landfill Directive - Opportunities and Implementation". In this well-attended seminar, the new landfill decree was comprehensively introduced and current technical developments in the lan...

Batch anaerobic dry digestion promises further application in agriculture and for treatment of municipal solid waste, especially with smaller substrate throughputs. As in other anaerobic systems, bacteriological activity is inhibited by lack of moisture and in batch dry digestion liquid is sprinkled over the substrate to encourage biomass degradati...

Small businesses often avoid the effort to protect their intellectual property rights. That means high risks. In the field of waste treatment, patents create a high potential for market uptake of the technologies.

Final report of a research project looking at economic viability of AD plants of different sizes (real case studies) based on detailed modelling.

Experiments on methanogenesis from horse dung were conducted in laboratory-scale batch reactors in order to determine the substrate performance in a solid-phase digestion process, more specifically in terms of potential energy recovery and suitable process technology. Dung from a horse stable with straw bedding was used. The temperature was kept in...

Sprinkled box fermenters with batch operation are a possible alternative for the fermentation of solid materials like landscape conservation materials, agricultural substrates or bio-waste with low yearly capacity. A research for the use of grass silage shows that 60 to 70 percent of solid starter material should be added. With an optimal process d...

Berieselte Boxenfermenter mit Batch-Betrieb sind eine mögliche Alternative zur Vergärung von Feststoffen, wie Landschaftspflegematerial, landwirtschaftliche Substrate oder Bioabfall bei niedrigen Jahresdurchsätzen. Untersuchungen zur Nutzung von Grassilage zeigen, dass 60 bis 70 % festes Impfmaterial zugemischt werden sollte. Bei optimaler Prozessg...

Methanogenesis from solid substrates in simple, discontinuously operated digestion systems was researched. Due to associated benefits, e.g. robust techniques, high flexibility and applicability when no liquid manure is available, solid-phase digestion is of increasing interest in agriculture. More and more box type fermenters with percolation (spri...

In the practice of fermenting solids in intermittent sprinkled box fermenters without thorough mixture, the question of whether one should do without mixing in firm inoculation material arises. Research findings from the University of Hohenheim point out the special relevance that comes out of the preconditioning of the substrate. Possible procedur...

Bei der Vergärung von Feststoffen in diskontinuierlich berieselten Boxenfermentern ohne Durchmischung stellt sich in der Praxis die Frage, ob auf eine Zumischung von festem Impfmaterial verzichtet werden sollte. Forschungsergebnisse der Universität Hohenheim zeigen auf, dass der Vorkonditionierung des Substrates eine besondere Bedeutung zukommt. Mö...

Different agricultural substrates (green cut, dairy and horse manure) have proven to be digestible in solid-phase fermentation systems. Methane yields determined in laboratory experiments could not yet be achieved in the large scale plant. Methanogenic biodegradation in percolated solid-phase digesters not only depends on the energy content and the...

Dry fermentation or solid-phase fermentation has proven to be a suitable technology for the treatment of municipal solid waste. In agriculture biogas production has long concentrated on liquid fermentation systems as liquid manure was the predominant substrate. Recently interest in technologies for the digestion of solid substrates is growing in ag...

Biowaste are a permanent subject of concern for environmental integrity and maintenance and human and animal health, due to their very high organic load and potential risk of pathogenic contamination. The paper presents briefly the process of anaerobic digestion as a treatment possibility for hygenisation and organic matter decomposition of biowast...