Publications | Umweltbundesamt

Waste | Resources

Quality assurance of compost and digestate

Experiences from Germany

Establishing a quality assurance system for compost and digestate from bio-waste can help to decrease the amount of biodegradable waste being landfilled and to increase material recycling. Germany has been successfully operating such a system since 1989, comprising also an organisation with the competence to control the quality of compost and digestate and to award a quality label, the Bundesgüteg...read more

Chemicals

Are biocide emissions into the environment already at alarming levels?

Recommendations of the German Environment Agency (UBA) for an approach to study the impact of biocides on the environment

More than 43,000 biocidal products were registered on the German market alone at the beginning of 2017, including disinfectants, preservatives, pest control and anti-fouling products. All biocides act as intended on living organisms and can enter the environment. Although some biocides have already been found in relevant environmental concentrations, they are still insufficiently considered in mon...read more

Sustainability | Strategies | International matters

Shaping environmental policy in a citizen- friendly manner

How behavioural science findings can make environmental-policy instruments more effective How behavioural science findings can make environmental-policy instruments more effective

Which factors are relevant for environmental decisions? How can people be motivated to act in an environmentally responsible manner and how can environmentally harmful routines be broken down? This publication provides answers to these questions and uses the latest findings from psychology, cognitive science and behavioral economics. An essential part of the publication is a checklist for the deve...read more

Chemicals

Bundling of Expertise in the area of Sustainable Chemistry: Conceptualization and Establishment of an International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre

With this project the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) and the corre-sponding International Sustainable Chemistry Network (ISCnet) for experts and stakeholders were established at a conference in May 2017. Objectives, tasks and a concept of the centre were developed in cooperation with international experts. From a thematic perspective, the holistic concept of Sustai...read more

Chemicals

Clarification of methodical questions regarding the investigation of nanomaterials in the environment

Development of a decision support tool for the investigation of nanomaterial’s environmental behaviour based on dispersion behaviour and dissolution in relation to various environmental parameters

For an adequate and valid interpretation of data regarding the environmental fate and behavior of nanomaterials it is essential to describe parameters like dissolution (rate), dispersibility and dispersion stability. Aim of the project was the development of a standardized test method to determine dispersibility and dispersion stability of nanomaterials in simulated environmental media as new OECD...read more

Chemicals

Answers to frequently asked questions to Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)

In May 2013 the chemical hexabromocyclododecane, or HBCD, was identified as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) under the international Stockholm Convention. This means that a worldwide ban on the sale and application of the chemical will soon become effective. For a long time HBCD was the most economically significant flame retardant used in polystyrene foam for insulation materials. We have com...read more

Economy | Consumption

Step-by-Step Guide to Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Many smaller and medium-sized companies, like larger companies, are already engaging with social responsibility in their business practices. At the same time, they are being asked to live up to their social reponsibilities when it comes to their supply chains and are motivated to do so, as supply chains are the origin of a large share of environmental impacts. Supply chains also hold great potenti...read more

Chemicals

Considerations about the relationship of nanomaterial’s physical-chemical properties and aquatic toxicity for the purpose of grouping

Based on the variety of existing nanomaterials with numerous modifications, the effort of investigating environmental fate and effects will be tremendous. Hence, it will be necessary to group nanomaterials which feature similar environmental fate and effects.  Therefore, the project objective was to correlate physical-chemical data with ecotoxicological effects for selected nanomaterials and to de...read more