Austria's waste industry is regarded as one of the best in the world. Austrian firms were obliged to invest in equipment because of strict national legislation to reduce environmental impact.

Austria's waste industry in the focus

Save the Planet

Sofia, Bulgaria will host the South East European Waste Management & Recycling Conference & Exhibition Save the Planet on 13-15 April 2011. The Netherlands will again be Partner Country, Austria - Country of Focus as the waste management is a strong local industry.

Austria's waste industry is regarded as one of the best in the world. Austrian firms were obliged to invest in equipment because of strict national legislation to reduce environmental impact. Domestic machine builders now export world wide. The yearly volume of investments from firms in Austrian waste management reaches about EUR 260 million.

Caroline Jackson, President of Environmental Protection UK, will open the event. The former Serbian Environmental Minister, A. Mihajlov, will review waste management in South East European countries. Other speakers are Paul Dunn, executive director of Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, Theo Lemmen, CEO at Geesinknorba, and experts from Lithuania, UK, Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria and Poland.

The hot topic this year will be Waste-to-Energy (w2e) on 14 April. It is supported by the German Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council, the European Association of Suppliers of Waste to Energy Technology, and the European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services. Many new EU member states are already using w2e, complying with EU legislation. Bulgaria was the first new member state against which the EC launched an infringement for inadequate waste disposal. Since July 2010, the EU has fined Poland €40.000 per day for poor waste management. Poland is now planning 11 w2e projects of which 9 have been submitted for EU funding. Czech Republic has also changed its legislation, allowing new waste incineration plants to be built next to existing ones, while Lithuania plans at least five new w2e plants and Latvia one. There will be experts in w2e from Austria, UK, USA, Japan, Canada, Serbia, Slovenia, and Germany.

Attendees will come away with a complete list of ‘Lessons Learned' in approving environmental projects. This includes managing controversial issues, political dynamics, regulatory approvals, and liaising with local communities and interest groups.

Partners to the conference are municipality and business organisations from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYRO Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. They support best practice in waste management to help protect the environment.

There will also be an exhibition on Waste & Recycling and the b2b EE & RES Congress and Exhibition for South East Europe with group participations from Austria, USA, Slovenia, Spain, China, etc.

Contact Via Expo: office@viaexpo.com, www.viaexpo.com, if you would like to be part of the South East European Waste Management & Recycling Conference & Exhibition, or South East European EE & RES Congress & Exhibition.