IFAT Munich 2022: Drivers of environmental and climate protection

International interest in the world's leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management continues unabated. "Preparations for IFAT Munich are in full swing, all 18 exhibition halls and a large part of the outdoor area are occupied. This is a very strong development, even compared to the record-breaking trade fair in 2018," explains Stefan Rummel, Managing Director of Messe München. Around 2,500 exhibitors from more than 50 countries had registered by February, and a few more are likely to have joined in the meantime.

IFAT Munich with great international appeal

The lively response is no coincidence. After all, the urgency of environmental, resource and climate protection is more firmly anchored in the consciousness of the global community than ever before. IFAT sees its role as bringing together international decision-makers, experts and market players in one place to tackle the major challenges together. The core themes of IFAT Munich are "Circular Economy and Waste Management," "Water and Wastewater," and "Municipal Technology." Renowned brands will be exhibiting in all these areas. In addition, there will be international joint stands from Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, Austria, South Korea, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Hungary and the USA. Numerous national and international associations are also actively shaping the trade show program, whether as exhibitors, with special shows, live demonstrations, solution tours and lectures.

Careful use of water

Water treatment and wastewater treatment are among the largest exhibition areas at IFAT Munich. Not only at many company booths, but also in the extensive lecture and discussion program, the recycling of water in industrial production processes - up to and including Zero Liquid Discharge - will be among the core topics. After all, water shortages are also a challenge for companies - even in the supposedly water-rich Alpine region. As a result of increasing periods of drought, the "blue gold" can also become a scarce commodity in this country, as has been shown time and again in the recent past. This is why the business community needs to think more intensively about the proper use of water. According to the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA), companies could, for example, make even more consistent use of water-saving technologies, rainwater or treated wastewater. Technologically, this is quite feasible. For example, an Audi plant in San José Chiapa, Mexico, already went into operation in 2016, where, according to the company, 100 percent of the wastewater produced is treated and then used as process water, in production and for watering the green areas of the plant premises. In addition to many other solutions already implemented in various industries, new fields of application for Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) are constantly being developed. For example, a consortium including the Technical University of Dresden is currently working on the "Med-zeroSolvent" project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to develop innovative, energy-efficient methods for the wastewater-free production of dialysis membranes. Their production generates heavily polluted process water. Or a manufacturer of solar panels in Qatar is treating saline wastewater in such a way that it can be fed back into the production water cycle.

Plastics: Improving material cycles

Circular design, chemical recycling and political market control are other prominent topics at this year's IFAT. In this context, for example, the trade show will feature a "Process World Plastics Recycling" organized by the VDMA Waste and Recycling Technology Association. A special area will also present best-practice examples of recycling management in action. After all, the current life cycle of plastics is still anything but circular in many places. This is one of the messages of the report "Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options," which the industrialized nations' organization OECD presented at the end of February this year. According to the 200-page work, both the annual production of plastics and the amount of plastic waste have more than doubled worldwide over the past two decades. The latter amounted to 460 million tons in 2019. Only nine percent of this was recycled, while 19 percent was incinerated and nearly 50 percent was sent to landfills. The remaining 22 percent ended up in uncontrolled landfills, was burned in open pits or entered the environment.

In addition to the much-discussed environmental problems with micro- and macroplastics, plastics also have a significant carbon footprint: they contribute to 3.4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions throughout their life cycle. Closing material loops could significantly reduce this footprint. But this also requires a political roadmap and the necessary regulatory framework. Various industry associations are already in the "starting blocks." They cite recycling-friendly product design, the handling of exports of end-of-life plastics, an EU-wide end to the landfilling of plastic waste, and the expansion of disposal and recycling structures as target-oriented starting points. In addition, the market conditions for the use of recyclates must be further improved.

Necessary innovative spirit

But it also takes a lot of innovative spirit to be able to solve global environmental problems. Intensive research is being carried out around the globe. From the findings obtained at universities and research institutions, numerous committed young entrepreneurs are developing innovative business models with which they are seeking their place in the market. That's why IFAT offers such newcomers a forum to present their solutions. At the so-called Start-up Area, almost 50 up-and-coming companies from 16 nations will be presenting themselves in a separate area in Hall B4 at the Munich exhibition center. Their products and solutions cover key IFAT Munich topics: water and wastewater treatment, waste and secondary raw materials, and air pollution control and soil protection. On show, for example, will be sustainable asphalt additives made from recycled plastic, separators for microplastics from wastewater streams, a nanotechnology-based water treatment process and a biotechnological method for binding dust. More information: www.ifat.de The post IFAT Munich 2022: Drivers of environmental and climate protection appeared first on Organizer.