Purpose: The demand for household batteries is considerable in the European context with just over five billion placed on the market every year. Although disposable batteries account for the largest market share in Europe, the use of rechargeable batteries is promoted as a less waste generating and a more environmentally friendly practice. A comparative life cycle assessment was therefore carried out to verify this assertion.

During the production of paper and packaging materials, various paper sludges are producedas waste material. This research project, funded by the DBU, investigates cofermentation in the digesters of mechanical biological treatment plants (MBT) as an ecological and economical solution for the use of these residuals. Three types of paper sludge from different ways of paper production were analyzed. The slurries were checked for possible inhibition effects upon the biogas process in MBT and their Biogas yield. First results have shown that the co-fermentation of paper sludges in digesters of MBT plants could be useful. The results found so far do not show definite inhibition effects.

The environmental impacts of rotary kiln incineration, which is widely used in China for treating industrial hazardous waste (IHW), is evaluated in this work through life cycle assessment (LCA).

The objective of this study is to clarify the material flow of specific nanomaterials with focus on construction materials to deviate its release scenarios for the end-of-life phase. The waste stream of construction and demolition (C&D) waste is very challenging because it is generated by both households and industry. Furthermore, the volume of C&D waste in Japan or in Austria is very high. Regarding nanotoxicity, the content of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in paints for construction materials is considerable. Chen et al. (2008) pointed out that SiO2 nanoparticles can easily be airborne because of their size. Kaegi et al. (2008 & 2010) have also shown that the nano-fraction of the whitening pigment (TiO2) and nano-Ag was released into surface water under real weather conditions from facade coatings.

In the energy-intensive industries of cement production, the use of refuse derived fuels (EBS) is in common since several years especially to decrease costs.

Sludge often arise as unintentional spin-off product in industrial processes. With regards to Transport (e.g. thixotropy, high water content) and further recycling (especially when contaminated) sludge is very inconvenient. However, with improved technical features sludge material might become usable as construction material for example in dams and embankments.

Coal tar, as a by-product from coal gasifi cation in municipal or manufactured gas plants (MGP), has been used for numerous industrial purposes including wood impregnation and as a raw material for ointments. Initially valued for its antibiotic properties, the constituents of coal tar constituents, when released into the environment, now pose considerable threats to soil and groundwater quality in many industrialized countries.

The coke oven plant started production in 1942 and was rebuilt after the extensive damage towards the end of World War II. For the production of by-products tar and crude benzene (light oil, coal) were distilled on site. Due to the effects of war and associated with the destruction of various parts of the coking plant, there were massive contaminations of the soil at the operational facilities. Based on these contaminations in soil there is still a signifi cant input of pollutants into the groundwater.

In the course of the complete teardown of the area of the former southern and eastern railway stations of Vienna and its complete redesign as a new central railway station of Vienna a substantial diesel contamination was detected. In the perspective of a sustainable solution ÖBB decided to eliminate this spill. For this purpose, initially around 4,500 m³ pollutant-containing soil were excavated and disposed. The remaining area was cleaned by an in situ remediation.

In the spring of 2003 we established a small plot experiment with sewage sludge compost that contains 40% sewage sludge, 25% straw, 30% rhyolite and 5% bentonite. In 2006, 2009 and 2012 the experiment was re-treated. We ploughed into the soil 0, 9, 18 and 27 t ha-1 sewage sludge compost in five repetitions. We used spring crops and autumn cereals as corn, pea and triticale in crop rotation. Now we present some potential toxic elements (Co, Cu, Ni and Pb) content of soil samples collected from the 0-30 cm soil layer after harvesting, in 2009-2012.

The PCDD/F emissions from incinerator start-up are a major contributor to the total amount of such emissions, as has been reported in studies of numerous municipal solid waste incinerators.

The study by the bifa environmental institute describes a future-orientated view of the ecological and economic effects of photovoltaic (PV) systems along their whole life cycle.

In modern sewage treatment plants (STP), about 90 % of the influent’s phosphorus can be re-moved via chemical and/or biological processes. This entire amount is found in the sludge and, after thermal treatment, also in the ashes. If sewage sludge is mono-incinerated, the resulting ashes represent the sludge matter with the highest possible P-concentration and the smallest mass to be treated respectively.

In the present work, an innovative approach to the disposal problem of asbestos wastes in Greece has been examined, through a risk assessment analysis of the inactive MABE asbestos mine and an evaluation of its suitability as a disposal site for asbestos wastes in the future.

NORM/TE-NORM wastes such as in particular radioactive scales and slur-ries/sludge are generated in the oil field and petrochemical industry in considerable amounts. Currently adequate treatment and disposal technologies are not commonly applied. This paper basically draws attention to the problem and reviews basic principles, applicability, advantages and limitations of NORM waste treatment and disposal.

Based on their nature of generation, hazardous wastes can be divided in two major groups: waste with historical background and waste currently generated from economic activity. Those two groups of waste require very different approaches considering their proper treatment both from environmental and economic point of view. Why? Historically generated hazardous wastes are obsolete products or resulted from entering into force and later amendments of specific legislation (such as POPs – DDT, PCBs, etc.) or more stringent requirements towards industrial ac-tivities. The second group of wastes – currently generated by economic activities have two main sources - industry and households. Both subgroups differ, depending on quantity, conditions, availability of funds to cover the treatment costs, and public perception.