“Consistent Circular Economy Fosters Sustainability and Independence” Prof. Dr. Rainer Wallmann, Managing Director of the EDG Entsorgung Dortmund, will be one of the speakers in the mind-opening session of the Resilience & Infrastructure track at the Circular Week 2026. In this interview, he shares his thoughts on the role of municipal waste companies in driving the circular transition. What role do municipal waste management companies play in the circular economy? Municipal companies are responsible for providing essential public services in municipalities. In the waste management sector, these companies come to the foreground when the municipality organises part of its collection and disposal services in-house rather than outsourcing them to a third party (private company). Municipal waste management companies have a significant market share in the collection and transport of municipal residual waste (around 50%, based on the number of connected residents). Accordingly, it is primarily municipal waste (including residual waste, organic waste and bulky waste) that is collected and recovered by municipal companies. That’s why municipal waste companies contribute to the circular economy in many ways: by raising awareness about waste, promoting waste separation, and directing material streams toward the highest-quality recovery route possible. In many cases, this recovery also takes place directly at the facilities of municipal waste management companies. How do material cycles contribute to securing resource supply? One of the goals of the circular economy is the conservation of natural resources. In this view, waste can either be turned into a new product or into a secondary raw material. This not only reduces the need for primary resources, but it also often results in a smaller ecological footprint. For example, through cascading use (anaerobic digestion and composting), collected organic waste can be used to produce energy in the form of biogas and, following further processing, biomethane and compost. When used correctly, compost serves as a fertiliser and replaces parts of peat extraction, while biomethane can directly replace natural gas. Why is the circular economy so crucial for securing stable supply chains and supporting resilience? Germany is dependent on imports for many raw materials. The situation of the recent years (the war in Ukraine, trade wars, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz) has made it particularly clear that existing supply chains cannot always be relied upon. The circular economy is an important step towards making Germany more independent in this respect. Although quite a lot has already been implemented in this sector, there is still considerable potential. What framework conditions do you consider necessary in order to implement the circular economy effectively? It is very important to create reliable and long-term framework conditions that make it possible to realise the potential of circular economy, including from an economic perspective. First and foremost, this is where policymakers need to act. Eco-design is fundamental in this regard. Companies should design products to be as recyclable or reusable as possible. This is where producer responsibility is particularly important. At the same time, research and development is essential to finding new and better ways to strengthen and optimise these cycles. This requires the right political framework. Of course, “waste producers”, both private individuals and commercial entities, also have a significant role to play, as their “proper handling” of waste (no littering, making use of available waste disposal options, and sorting waste correctly) lays the foundation for subsequent high-quality recovery processes. Prof. Dr. Rainer Wallmann, Managing Director of the EDG Entsorgung Dortmund, will be one of the speakers in the mind-opening session of the Resilience & Infrastructure track at the Circular Week 2026 (in German) “Der Preis der Unabhängigkeit – Kreislaufwirtschaft als Resilienzfaktor”– register now! Learn more about the Resilience & Infrastructure track here and check out the full Circular Week 2026 programme here. For further questions, please contact Dr. Flandra Syla-Beqiri.