So there is no alternative to waste incineration?

 Everyone always asks for an alternative! Yes, there is, but it’s upstream of the bin, not downstream of it. When designing products, much more consideration should be given to their ability to be separated into individual materials at the end of their life cycle, because this will then enable these materials to be recycled. At the moment, however, things are unfortunately going in exactly the opposite direction. Everything is being glued, fused, welded or cast. And more and more products have inbuilt lifestyle electronics that you can’t remove and they end up in the residual waste. Not every coat has to be able to make a cup of coffee. No, it’s not the fault of waste incineration that so much unnecessary waste is produced. It disposes of it and does so in the best possible technical way. But there is still an urgent need for us to burn fewer valuable resources. The way to do this, however, is through waste avoidance, management and recycling. It is no use hoping that one day a process will be invented with which – if you’ll pardon the expression – you can turn s**t into gold. Even in the Middle Ages they knew that didn’t work.