The 10th National Conference – ASEKOL a.s. WASTE PREVENTION, held on October 10, was a resounding success, attracting over 350 participants eager to engage in discussions about sustainable practices and innovations in waste management.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Vladimír Študent and Jiří Študent from the České ekologické manažerské centrum, z.s. for their excellent organization of this pivotal event!
Keynote Trends from Waste Prevention
The conference commenced with an inspiring keynote presentation from David Surý, Deputy Minister of the Environmental Protection Section at the Ministry of the Environment, setting the stage for the important discussions that followed.
Insights from the E-Waste and Digitalization Block
We were particularly grateful to collaborate on the 4th block, focusing on e-waste and digitalization in waste management. The block featured key insights from various experts:
- Waste Electrical Equipment in the Czech Republic: Presented by Igor Tyleček, Ministerial Councillor from the Ministerstvo životního prostředí, who discussed the legal regulations surrounding waste electrical equipment management, the obligations of producers, and the registration tool ISOH2.
- E-Waste as a Source of Critical Raw Materials and Precious Metals: Marie Koflák, Project Manager from PowerHUB, highlighted the unique ecosystem developed by a consortium of five countries for extracting critical raw materials from e-waste. PowerHUB, the Czech partner of the WEEE-Net9 project supported by EIT RawMaterials, showcased results from metal extraction and the potential for new collaborations.
- Mobile Phones as Part of E-Waste: Miloš Polák, Founder of the project and Vice-Chairman of the Committee of the association Remobil, z.s., presented on the lifecycle of mobile phones, their components, and recycling opportunities.
- FIXED ReStory: Daniel Havner, Sales Director from FIXED, discussed the production of recycled TPU cases for mobile phones manufactured in the Czech Republic.
- Circulation of Electronics in Prague: Jan Charvát, CEO of RepairSys and Opravárna, introduced an electronics circulation project, allowing Prague residents to drop off old electronics for repair and reuse. This project received third place in the Kick Up Prague 2024 competition.
- Recycling of Photovoltaic Panels in Practice: Adam Titěra, Junior Project Manager from Dekonta, a.s., presented a project focused on recycling photovoltaic panels, detailing a prototype processing line with a capacity of 2,000 tonnes per year.
- How Data is Changing Waste Management: Krystof Novak, Managing Director of Waste Digital, discussed how data analytics is transforming the waste management sector.
Conclusion
The ASEKOL Waste Prevention Conference served as an essential platform for sharing knowledge and fostering collaboration among stakeholders in waste management and sustainability. The discussions surrounding the WEEE-Net project highlighted the critical role of e-waste management in achieving sustainable development goals.
