IAK at the IFAT 2026

Professor Christina Dornack, numerous employees, alumni and students from the Institute of Waste and Circular Economy attended the most important environmental trade fair in the German-speaking world in Munich at the beginning of May 2026.

As part of a panel discussion organized by the Federal Association of the German Waste, Water and Circular Economy (BDE), Christina Dornack, in her capacity as a member of the German Advisory Council on the Environment, spoke on "Circular building: Preserving existing buildings, closing loops" and answered questions from the audience. The focus was on the status quo between the construction industry's strategy and the prevailing practice, further training opportunities and the equality of secondary and primary building materials. The discussion was led by Freya Sternkopf, Head of Minerals and Hazardous Waste Management at the BDE and alumni of the Institute of Waste Management and Circular Economy.
The panel emphasized the current national circular economy strategy, which prioritizes the construction and renovation of existing buildings over the construction of new buildings, the available digital instruments, existing funding programs and the current legal framework for the construction industry.