Challenges in global waste management and measures in low-income and newly industrialising countries require the consideration of numerous aspects. Concepts developed at the Institute of Waste Management include technological (e.g.decentralised composting), organisational (e.g. documentation system for hazardouswastes) and educational measures (e.g. curriculum development, training courses). The inclusion of local stakeholders, such as authorities, educational institutions, NGOs, community based organisations, enterprises, the population, the informalsector, etc. is thereby an important prerequisite. An important focal point of research at the Institute of Waste Management is dealing with the collection and analysis of data related to informal waste management systems. In order to assess the significance of the informal sector in low-income and industrialised countries, it is necessary to quantify its contribution to formal waste management. A majority of waste management activities in low-income countries in the fields of waste collection, processing and recycling can be assigned to the informal sector. An inclusive view on this sector enables the analysis and the discovery of potential solutions in terms of professionalisation, legalisation and formalisation of informal stakeholders. Contact: Roland Ramusch (né Linzner), MSc

Key Publications

  • Linzner R. and Salhofer S. (2014): Municipal solid waste recycling and the significance of informal sector in urban China. Waste Manag Res 0734242X14543555, first published on August 8, 2014 as doi:10.1177/0734242X14543555. http://wmr.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/08/07/0734242X14543555
  • Linzner R., Lange U. (2013). Role and size of informal sector in waste management - a review. Proceedings of the ICE - Waste and Resource Management. Themed issue: Waste Management in Developing Countries. In press.
  • Linzner R., Pertl A., Scherhaufer S. and Obersteiner G. (2011): Methodologies for estimating quantities of informal collected and transboundary shipped bulky waste. In:Cossu R., He P., Kjeldsen P., Matsufuji Y., Reinhart D., Stegmann R. (Eds.), Sardinia 2011 - Thirteenth International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium. Executive Summaries, Abstract, pp. 293-294. Full paper on CD. ISBN 978-88-6265-000-7.

Key Projects

Sustainable Ship Recycling by Adopting Integrated Waste Management Approaches in China The world merchant fleet population increased from 600 million gross tonnes in 2005 to 1 billion gross tonnes in 2011, this equals a yearly growth rate of approx. 9 %. In addition the new ship-buildings reached a record level of 117 million DWT (deadweight tonnage) in 2009 (82 million in 2008). In the Years 1990 to 2006 the ship recycling market for ships >499 gross tonnes (GT) showed a cyclical nature: in 1990 approx. 2 million GT were recycled, reaching a peak of approx. 20 million GT in 1999 and then falling down to approx. 4 million GT in 2006.
China’s ship recycling started in the early 1960s, and it has been developing very fast in the past two decades. China two times was world leader in ship recycling in terms of demolished gross tonnage (in 1993 and 2003), before dropping to a lower market share in 2005. The ship recycling market is volatile and very dependent on scrap steel prices.
Sustainable and integrated ship breaking activities could provide a big amount of secondary materials and China is seriously lacking of resources. In addition these activities could create jobs and avoid pollution from end-of-life ships and protect marine and river environment. However shipbreaking is also creating many environmental problems, in particular generating hazardous wastes and discharge of pollutants, e.g. waste oils, heavy metals and other toxic substances like asbestos.
This project intends to improve both resource efficiency and pollution control. Both aspects are of high relevance for the sector as
• Resource efficiency, reflecting higher amount and better quality of recyclable materials will lead to improved economic competitiveness of the sector.
• Pollution control will be subject to regulations and the preparation for compliance with further rules strengthens the sector as well.
• Improvement of the occupational health and safety conditions (eg. reduction of work accidents) improves the economic sustainability of the sector.

The overall objective of the action is to improve the sustainability of ship recycling in China. As a result, emissions from certified ship recyclers (waste oil, heavy metals, persistent organic compounds) shall be reduced by 10% in the 2nd year and by 30% in the 3rd year of this action.
The specific objectives are as follows:
• Development of guidelines and tools for sustainable ship recycling.
• Implementation of sustainable procedures in 20 (8+12) participating Chinese ship recyclers.
• Assessment of the sustainability of these procedures through a Third Party Inspection System (TPIS).
• Provision of recommendations for regulations and standards (policy dialogue).
• Setting up a Chinese Shiprecycling Network. You will find more information via this link: http://shiprec.boku.ac.at