Prof. Dr. Christina Dornack

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Name

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Christina Dornack

Head of the Institute

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Contact Information

Organization Name

Institute of Waste Management and Circular Economy

Institute of Waste Management and Circular Economy

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Visiting address:

Pratzschwitzer Str. 15, Room 105

01796 Pirna

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Core research areas
Courses (German and English)
Curriculum vitae
Memberships and functions
Publications & Lectures

Core research areas

• Strategies for waste prevention and preparation for reuse
• Product design for recycling
• Substitution strategies for primary resources
• Ecological and economic considerations of existing and future recycling measures
• Political and economic consulting
• Capacity building in developing and emerging countries
• Development and implementation of waste management bachelor's and master's degree programs as well as training courses on integrated waste management in industrialized, emerging and developing countries
• Resource-efficient and low-emission urban development - effects of transformational change on the waste and circular economy
• CO2 balancing, climate protection and the circular economy
• Material flow analyses of waste streams - analysis and recycling potential
• Material flow analyses
• Sewage sludge utilization (thermal, biological, phosphorus recycling),
• Biogas production and process optimization in the recycling of biogenic residues
• Informal sector activities in the waste and recycling industry
• Recycling of recyclable materials: Plastic, glass, paper, biowaste
• Recovery of mineral waste materials
• Recovery and recycling of CFRP and GFRP-based materials
• Laboratory processing and analysis of waste

Courses (German and English)

Waste and resource management
Fundamentals of material flow management
Fundamentals of the circular economy and contaminated sites
Circular Economy
Simulation games Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment
Precautionary measures in the waste and circular economy
Treatment technologies for municipal waste
Environmental testing and laboratory work (UTP)

Curriculum vitae

Memberships and functions

Publications & Lectures

Maletz, R.; Schmidt, N.; Dornack, C.: Ecological and economic impacts of the implementation of separate collection of biowaste on a global scale In: Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 529 (2025) 146821,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.146821

Otto, P.; Barth, M.; Witkabel, P.; Dornack, C.: Generating sustainable cooling energy from organic waste in Africa In: Müll und Abfall, Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin,  Vol. 57 (2025), Nr. 06.2025, p. 338 - 344, https://doi.org/10.37307/j.1863-9763.2025.06.06

Dornack, C.: Sufficiency as a "Strategy of Enough" Conference Zero Waste Strategies for Waste Management Companies, Kiel, 28/29.01.2025

Dornack, C.: Contribution of the circular economy to resource efficiency - review and preview The European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry (EWCPS). Berlin, 3rd March 2025

Dornack, C.: How can the circular economy lead to more climate protection? - Sufficiency as a 'strategy of enough'
CRETE 2025 8th International Conference on Industrial Hazardous Waste Management, May 29th, 2025

Ferolla Spyer Prates, L.; Schneider, C.P.; Dornack, C.; Guenther, E.; Möst, D.; Karthe, D.: Achieving the SDGs through a Resource Nexus Approach: Lessonsfrom the African E-mobility Transition In: Discover Sustainability (2025) 6:496, Published online: 03 June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01340-4

Dornack, C.: CCS and circular economy - a contradiction? In: Müll und Abfall, Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co KG, Berlin, Vol. 56 (2024), No. 12.2024, Editorial, p. 669

Schlicke, H.*; Maletz, R.; Dornack, C.; Fery, A.*: Plasmonic Particle Integration into Near-Infrared Photodetectors and Photoactivated Gas Sensors: Toward Sustainable Next-Generation Ubiquitous Sensing Small journal, September 18, 2024, 2403502. Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202403502

Dacha, P.; Haase, K.; Wrzesińska-Lashkova, A.; Pohl, D.; Maletz, R., Millek, V.; Tahn, A.; Rellinghaus, B.; Dornack, C.; Vaynzof, Y.; Hambsch, M.; Mannsfeld, S. C. B.: Eco-Friendly Approach to Ultra-Thin Metal Oxides- Solution Sheared Aluminum Oxide for Half-Volt Operation of Organic Field-Effect Transistors Advanced Functional Materials 2024, 2315850, Wiley-VCH GmbH, https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202315850

Thomas, H.; Achenbach, T.; Hodgkinson, I. M.; Spoerer, Y.; Kuehnert, I.; Dornack, C.; Schellhammer, K. S.; Reineke, S.: Room Temperature Phosphorescence from Natural, Organic Emitters and Their Application in Industrially Compostable Programmable Luminescent Tags Advanced Materials, 2024, 2310674 https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202310674

Dornack, C.: Circular Economy in Germany and Europe - Status and Perspectives Farewell Prof. Dr. Daniela Thrän from DBFZ, 19.03.2024

Dornack, C.: Sufficiency as a "strategy of enough" Network meeting resource turnaround, Berlin 16.04.2024

Dornack, C.: How can the circular economy lead to more climate protection? Sufficiency as a "strategy of enough" 25th [GGSC] Exchange of experience in municipal waste management, 06.06.2024, Berlin

Dornack, C.: How can the circular economy lead to more climate protection? - Sufficiency as a 'strategy of enough' Automotive Circle, Bad Nauheim 27/11/2024

Dornack, C.: News on urban mining: pollutants/recycling DGAW specialist event on minerals, Düsseldorfer Industrieclub e.V., 04/12/2024

Oviedo-Ocaña, E.R.; Abendroth, C.; Domínguez, I.C.; Sánchez, A.; Dornack, C.: Life cycle assessment of biowaste and green waste composting systems: A review of applications and implementation challenges Waste Management, 171, pp. 350-364, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2023.09.004

Dornack, C.: Because we know what we have to do In: Müll und Abfall, Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co KG, Berlin, Vol. 55 (2023), No. 08.2023, Editorial, p. 429

Baron, M.; Dornack, C.: Smartphones: From replacement product to long-time companion. How policy can support individual choice In: Müll und Abfall, Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin,  Vol. 55 (2023), Nr. 07.2023, p. 382 - 389

Anyaoha, K.E.; Krujatz, F.; Hodgkinson, I.; Maletz, R.; Dornack, C.: Microalgae contribution in enhancing the circular economy drive of biochemical conversion systems - a review, Carbon Resources Conversion (2023), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crcon.2023.10.003

Otto, P.; Abendroth, C.; Dornack, C.: Designer microbiomes for the biogas sector In: Müll und Abfall, Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin, ISSN: 0027-2957, Vol. 54 (2022), No. 05.2022, pp. 243 - 247. https://doi.org/10.37307/j.1863-9763.2022.05.05

Beckmann, M.; Danz, P.; Deike, R; Dornack, C.; Gehrmann, H.-J.; Gleis, M.; Hölemann, K.; Karpf, R.; Pieper, C.; Quicker, P.; von Raven, R.; Seifert, H.; Simon, F.-G.: Waste incineration in the future. Position paper of the ProcessNet expert group "Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery", DECHEMA e.V. Frankfurt am Main, 46 p., February 2022

Werner, M.; Zentner, A.; Dornack, C.: Construction and demolition waste - What do available statistical data tell us and what remains hidden? In: Garbage and Waste, Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co KG, Berlin, ISSN: 0027-2957, Vol. 54 (2022), No. 02.2022, pp. 71-76

Abendroth, C; Dornack, C; Nefigmann, S; Otto, P.:. Microscopic heroes of the biogas industry. Environmental Engineering Series Volume 110.
Conference proceedings - Dialogue Waste Management & 16th Rostock Bioenergy Forum, pp. 233 - 241, 2022. https://doi.org/10.18453/rosdok_id00003615

Khuyen, V.T.K.; Le, D.V.; Anh, L.H.; Fischer, A.R.; Dornack, C.: Assessing microplastic prevalence and dispersion from Saigon urban canals via Can Gio Mangrove Reserve to East Sea by Raman scattering microscopy, Microplastics 1, pp. 536-553, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics1030038

Rückert, A.; Dornack, C.: Abfall-Kreislaufwirtschaft, In: Neu, C. (ed.): Handbuch Daseinsvorsorge - Ein Überblick aus Forschung und Praxis, pp. 202-211, 2022.

Abendroth C., Rückert A., Bierwage H., Dornack C.: Towards electro-fermentative composting plants. Проблемы устойчивого развития регионов Республики Беларусь и сопредельных стран : сб. материалов X Междунар. науч.-практ. конф., 13-14 мая 2021 г. / под ред. Н. В. Маковской. - Могилев : МГУ имени А. А. Кулешова, 2021 - С. 3-7.. ISBN: 978-985-568-867-0; Электронный архив библиотеки МГУ имени А.А. Кулешова, 2021,(https://libr.msu.by/handle/123456789/17167)

Maletz, R.; Dornack, C.: Eco-efficiency assessment of measures to increase the use of plastic recyclate. Garbage and Waste, Erich Schmidt Verlag Berlin, No. 01/2021, pp.21-23

Hodgkinson, I.; Maletz, R.; Simon, F.-G.; Dornack, C.: Mini-Review of Waste-to-Energy related Air Pollution and their Limit Value Regulations in an International Comparison. Waste Management & Research, 2021, published online on 25.11.2021, https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X211060607

Abendroth, C.; Rückert, A.; Bierwage, H.; Maletz, R.; Dornack, C.: The Greening Belarus project. In: Garbage and Waste, Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co KG, Berlin, Vol.52, No. 6, 2021

Khuyen, V.T.K., Le, D.V., Anh, L.H., Fischer, A.R., Dornack, C.: Investigation of Microplastic Contamination in Vietnamese Sea Salts Based on Raman and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopies. EnvironmentAsia 2021, 14(2), 1-13, DOI 10.14456/ea.2021.11

Khuyen, V.T.K., Le, D.V., Fischer, A.R., Dornack, C.: Comparison of Microplastic Pollution in Beach Sediment and Seawater at UNESCO Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve. Global Challenges 2021, 5, 2100044, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/gch2.202100044

Khuyen, V.T.K., Le, D.V., Fischer, A.R., Dornack, C.: Investigating the correlation of microplastic pollution between seawater and marine salt by micro-Raman spectroscopy. Frontiers in Marine Science 2021, 8, article no 735975, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.735975

Fichtner, T., Fischer, A., Dornack, C.: Nitrate consumption by the oxidation of sulfides during an enhanced natural attenuation measure at a contaminated site in Berlin, Germany. Environmental Sciences Europe, 2021, 33, 103, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-021-00546-3

Dornack, C.: Waste and recycling management in Germany. Geographical Review 7/8-2020, westermann, Braunschweig, pp. 26-31

Schwan, B.; Abendroth, C.; Latorre-Pérez, A.; Porcar, M.; Vilanova, C.; Dornack, C.: Chemically Stressed Bacterial Communities in Anaerobic Digesters Exhibit Resilience and Ecological Flexibility. Front Microbiol. 11:867; doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00867, 2020

Ramm, P.; Abendroth, C.; Latorre-Pérez, A.; Herrmann, C.; Sebök, S.; Geißler, A.; Vilanova, C.; Porcar, M.; Dornack, C.; Bürger, C.; Schwarz, H.; Luschnig, O.: Ammonia removal during leach-bed acidification leads to optimized organic acid production from chicken manure. Renewable Energy 146, 1021-1030, doi:10.1016/j.renene.2019.07.021, 2020

Reetsch, A.; Schwärzel, K.; Kapp, G.; Dornack, C.; Masisi, J.; Alichard, L.; Robert, H.; Byamungu, G.; Stephene, S.; Feger, K.-H.: Survey of 150 smallholder farm households in banana-coffee-based farming systems containing data on farm households, agricultural production and use of farm waste. PANGAEA, Agricultural Systems, Vol. 185, November 2020, 102915, doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.914713

Abu Qdais, H.; Wünsch, C.; Dornack, C.; Nassour, A.: The role of solid waste composting in mitigating climate change in Jordan. in Waste Management & Research, 1-10, June 2019, https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X19855424

Dornack, C.; Rückert, A.; Maletz, R.; Scholwin, F.; Liebetrau, J.; Faßauer, B.; Nelles, M. (eds.): Waste fermentation conference March 11-13, 2019 in Dresden. Contributions to Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment. Volume 104, self-published by the Forum für Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment e.V., Pirna. 188 pages, ISBN: 978-3-934253-97-0.

Dornack, C.: New developments in biogas technology. Dornack, C.; Rückert, A.; Maletz, R.; Scholwin, F.; Liebetrau, J.; Faßauer, B.; Nelles, M. (eds.): Abfallvergärungstagung 11. bis 13. March 2019 in Dresden. Contributions to Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment. Volume 104. self-published by the Forum for Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment e.V., Pirna, pp.7-24, ISBN: 978-3-934253-97-0

Ferrans, L.; Avellán, T.; Müller, A.; Hettiarachchi, H.; Dornack, C., Caucci, S.: Selecting sustainable sewage sludge reuse options through a systematic assessment framework: Methodology and Case study in Latin America. Journal of Cleaner Production, Elsevier Editorial System for Journal (2019), JCLEPRO-D-18-08842R3, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118389

Friege, H.; Dornack, C.: Waste and Circular Economy: Priorities for Sustainable Resource Management. Sustainable Management, Springer Verlag, (2019), ISBN 978-3-662-57692-2, ISBN 978-3-662-57693-9 (eBook), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-57693-9

Geißler, A.; Schwan, B.; Dornack, C.: Developing a high-performance methane stage for biomass with high nitrogen loads. Renewable Energy, Volume 143, December 2019, Pages 1744-1754, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.05.043

Penckert, P.; Zentner, A.; Dornack, C.: Planting trials with material mixtures of sewage sludge compost, mushroom culture substrates and overburden material. Garbage and waste. Issue 1.19 (2019). S. 31-37

Ramm, P.; Abendroth, C.; Latorre-Pérez, A.; Herrmann, C.; Sebök, S.; Geißler, A.; Vilanova, C.; Porcar, M.; Dornack, C.; Bürger, C.; Schwarz, H.; Luschnig, O.: Ammonia removal during leach-bed acidification leads to optimized organic acid production from chicken manure. Renewable Energy 146, 1021-1030, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.07.021

Dornack, C.; Rückert, A.; Maletz R.; Scholwin, F.; Liebetrau, J.; Faßauer, B.; Nelles, M. (eds.): Waste fermentation conference March 11-13, 2019 in Dresden. In: Contributions to Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment, conference proceedings. In: Eigenverlag des Forums für Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment e. V., Volume 104, Pirna, 2019, ISBN: 978-3-934253-97-0, 180 p.

Dornack, C.: Waste Policy for Source Separation in Germany. in The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, Vol. 63; Springer Nature, Heidelberg, 2018 pp. 3-10, (ISBN 978-3-319-69071-1)

Dornack, C.; Zentner, A; Zehm, A.: Waste as Resource. In Biokerosene: Status and Prospects, edited by Martin Kaltschmitt and Ulf Neuling,. Heidelberg: Springer, 2018. pp. 221-236. ISBN: 978-3-662-53063-4

Knoop, C.; Dornack, C.; Raab, T.: Effect of drying, composting and subsequent impurity removal by sieving on the properties of digestates from municipal organic waste. Waste Management, Vol. 72, pp 168-177

Knoop, C.; Tietze, M., Dornack, C.; Raab, T., Fate of nutrients and heavy metals during two-stage digestion and aerobic post-treatment of municipal organic waste. Bioresource Technology, Volume 251, March 2018, Pages 238-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2017.12.019

Maletz, R.; Dornack, C.; Ziyang L. (Eds.): Source Separation and Recycling - Implementation and Benefits for a Circular Economy; The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, Vol. 63; Springer Nature, Heidelberg, 2018 (ISBN 978-3-319-69071-1)

Maletz, R., Perschau N., Dornack, C.: Substitution Rates of Recycling Materials as Indicator for a Circular Economy. In: Proceedings of CRETE 2018- 6thInternational Conference on Industrial & Hazardous Waste Management Chania- Crete- Greece; September 4 -7, 2018. ISSN: 2241-3146

Zentner, A.; Dornack, C.: Conversion of a mechanical biological treatment operating of residual waste to anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste. In: Proceedings of^7th International Symposium on Energy from Biomass and Waste Venice-Italy. October 15-18, 2018, Cisa Publisher

Zentner, A.; Dornack, C.: Recirculation of process water in a wet fermentation of organic fraction of municipal solid waste. In: Proceedings of ^11th Eco Tech Conference in Kalmar-Sweden. 19.-21.11.2018.

Maletz, R.; Perschau, N.; Dornack, C.: Determination of substitution rates for different packaging materials with special consideration of plastics. In: Thiel, S.; Thomé-Kozmiensky, E.; Goldmann, D. (Eds.): Recycling und Rohstoffe, Volume 11, TK-Verlag GmbH, Neuruppin 2018, pp. 363-376

Dornack, C.; Wünsch, C.: Circular economy in Germany - implementation and challenges of selected material flow. in proceedings to Crete 2018 -^6th International Conference on Industrial and Hazardous Waste Management, Chania, Crete, September^4th -^7th 2018

Knoop, C.; Dornack, C.; Raab, T.: Nutrient and heavy metal accumulation in municipal organic waste from separate collection during anaerobic digestion in a two-stage laboratory biogas plant. Bioresource Technology 239 (2017), pp 437-446

Dornack, C.: Waste Policy for Source Separation in Germany. in: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

Knoop, C.; Dornack, C.; Raab, T.: Effect of drying, composting and subsequent impurity removal by sieving on the properties of digestates from municipal organic waste. Waste Management, Available online November 27, 2017, In press, corrected proof,

Dornack, C.; Zentner, A; Zehm, A.: Waste as Resource. In Biokerosene: Status and Prospects, edited by Martin Kaltschmitt and Ulf Neuling, 221-236. Heidelberg: Springer, 2017.

Maletz, R.; Dornack, C.; Ziyang L. (Eds.): Source Separation and Recycling - Implementation and Benefits for a Circular Economy; The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, Vol. 63; Springer Nature, Heidelberg, 2018 (ISBN 978-3-319-69071-1) Available 2018

Maletz, R.; Jöstingmeier, D.; Dornack, C.: Influence of collection quality on the NIR sorting of lightweight packaging. In: Müll und Abfall, Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co KG, Berlin, ISSN: 0027-2957, Vol.49, No. 2, 2017

Wünsch C., Dornack, C.: Effects of increased collection of recyclables from selected materials on MBT. K. Wiemer, M. Kern, T. Raussen (Eds.): Bio- and secondary raw material utilization XII - material - energetic, ISBN 3-928673-74-2, Witzenhausen 2017

Dornack, C.; Scholwin, F.; Liebetrau, J.; Faßauer, B.; Nelles, M. (eds.): 11th Biogas Conference Dresden - Anaerobic biological waste treatment - Innovations and internationalization. In: Beiträge zu Abfallwirtschaft/Kreislaufwirtschaft, Eigenverlag des Forums für Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment e.V., Vol. 101, Pirna, 2017, ISBN: 978-3-934253-94-0, 179 p.

Dornack, C.: Status and perspectives of the recycling of selected material flows for the implementation of the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act. Berlin Recycling and Raw Materials Conference 2016, Berlin March 7-8, 2016; in: Karl J. Thomé-Kozmiensky: Recycling and Raw Materials Volume 9, pp. 39-54

Dornack, C.: Alternative use of residues from paper production with rising prices in energy recovery. Berlin Recycling and Raw Materials Conference 2016, Berlin March 7-8, 2016; in: Karl J. Thomé-Kozmiensky: Recycling and Raw Materials Volume 9, pp. 573-588

Dornack, C.; Wünsch, C.: Effects of the implementation of the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act on MBT in Germany. Conference proceedings Recy&DepTech 2016, November 8-11, 2016, Leoben, pp.347-354

Maletz, Roman; Wünsch, Christoph; Dornack, Christina: Status of waste management in the candidate countries with regard to the environmental policy objectives of the European Union. In: Müll und Abfall, Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin, ISSN: 0027-2957, Vol.48, No.4, 2016, pp.168-176

Dornack, C.: Residues from paper industry - unused biomass? In: "Modern technologies and the development of polytechnic education", conference, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia, September 14-18, 2015, ISBN: 978-5-7444-3608-7

Dornack, C.; Faßauer; B.; Liebetrau, J.; Nelles, M.; Scholwin, F.: Status and future prospects of the fermentation of biogenic waste. In: "10th Biogas Conference Dresden - Anaerobic Biological Waste Treatment", Conference, Dresden, September 29-30, 2015

Dornack, C.: Future waste paper composition in Europe - expectations, causes and effects. In: Thomé-Kozmiensky, K.; Goldmann, D. (Eds.): "Recycling und Rohstoffe", TK Verlag Berlin, Vol. 8, 2015, pp. 501-515, ISBN: 978-3-944310-20-6

Friege, H.; Dornack, C.; Friege, N.; Hilse, H.: Marketing opportunities and problems in the fermentation of biowaste from municipal solid waste. In: "Müll und Abfall", Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin, 08/2015, pp. 452-456 , ISSN: 0027-2957

Friege, H., Dornack, C.; Friege, N.: Biogas as a driver of the biowaste market; In: Herbes, C.; Friege, C. (eds.): "Marketing Erneuerbarer Energien - Grundlagen, Geschäftsmodelle, Fallbeispiele", Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, Wiesbaden, 2015, pp. 317-334, ISBN: 978-3-658-04967-6

Schingnitz, D.; Grundmann, V.; Dornack, C.: Practical suitability of bio-based, biodegradable biowaste collection bags in a box composting plant. In: "Müll und Abfall", Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin, 11/2015, pp. 611-614, ISSN: 0027-2957

Dornack, C.; Scholwin, F.; Liebetrau, J.; Faßauer, B.; Nelles, M.: 10th Biogas Conference Dresden - Anaerobic Biological Waste Treatment. In: Beiträge zu Abfallwirtschaft/Altlasten, self-published by the Forum für Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment e.V., Volume 97, Pirna, 2015