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The Circular Economy, the protagonist at ISWA 2019
The most important international congress on waste management was held in Bilbao from 7th to 9th October. The meeting, which was attended by SIGAUS, was visited by 1,200 experts who analysed the latest trends and technologies in waste management and sustainable environmental policies.
11-10-2019
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Bilbao hosted the 29th edition of ISWA World Congress, an international meeting organised by the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), which aims to promote and develop sustainable waste management around the world, and which on this occasion revolved around the motto "Circular Economy. What are you doing?”
Over the course of 250 working sessions, more than 1,200 attendees from universities and industries in 70 different countries –all experts in waste treatment, recycling, and circular economy– have come together to analyse the latest developments and technologies in comprehensive management, underlining the need for the circular economy to replace the current linear economy as the only viable option for a sustainable planet. The Congress also hosted an exhibition in which around 40 companies and organisations from different countries showcased their work, products, tools, and techniques around waste treatment and recycling.
SIGAUS used its stand to assert its commitment to waste management and sustainable development, providing information on how its system manages used oil via a model in which 100% of the waste is re-marketed as new products, as guaranteed by the 1.6 million-plus tons of used oil collected and treated over the course of SIGAUS' 12 years of activity. The organisation disseminated this work through a range of informative audiovisual materials in both English and Spanish.
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The Congress has served to emphasise the need for the circular economy to replace the current linear economy, as the only viable option for a sustainable planet.
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Authorities and dignitaries
Numerous authorities and dignitaries from the environmental and waste management sectors took part in this renowned congress. Specifically, the opening session was attended by Juan María Aburto, Bilbao Council Leader; Elena Unzueta, Member of the Provincial Council for Sustainability and the Environment; and Iñaki Arriola, the Basque Regional Government's Head of Environment, Territorial Planning and Housing.
Also worthy of note were the interventions by Captain Charles Moore, author of the book "Plastic Ocean" that seeks to raise awareness about the alarming situation regarding the vast amounts of plastics found in our oceans and seas. Participants included Mario Picazo, a former weather presenter who is now Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UCLA, and Nicola Cerantola, a Mechanical Engineer dedicated to Sustainable Design, Circular Economy and Green Entrepreneurship.
Moreover, the President of ISWA, Antonis Mavropulos, chaired a presentation on how Industry 4.0 can transform the waste sector, while Georgina Nitzsche, a member of WOW (Women of Waste) –a group that operates within ISWA with the aim of empowering women in the world of waste management and the circular economy– acted as moderator.
Now that the congress is over, we can conclude that immediate, coordinated decisive action must be taken to combat climate change and the pollution of our seas, transforming our economic activity into a circular economy.
