Newsletter no. 3
Newsletter no. 3 highlights some recent developments within the NETmicroplastic network and welcomes new members. It covers a report on our activities during summer, among others on a demo-event on “real-life” composting technologies, where we ran a mini-survey among the participants. We present our newly established database on microplastic-related initiatives and policies on our website, which is also showing some other new features. Finally, we give an outlook towards some upcoming activities.
Projects, policies, and initiatives database
The NETmicroplastic team was quite active during summertime and has re-organized the NETmicroplastic website. Now you can find on our website more information related to the network’s orgnisational structure and on ways of how to participate in and profit from the network, even if you are not a core partner. We also provide new information material, both in English and German. We are most proud to present on our website some key features of our database, which was built in cooperation with our core network partners Bündnis Mikroplastikfrei, HBLA und Bundesamt Klosterneuburg, Aimplas, IUTA, Agricultural Chamber of Lower Austria, Environment Agency Austria, European Bioplastics e.V., Wageningen University and Wassercluster Lunz. In the database you can find current and past Austrian and European projects on (micro)plastic in soil, (bio)plastics recycling and the development of alternative biodegradable plastic materials, in addition to information on relevant policies & strategies (government-driven efforts) and initiatives (public-driven efforts).
If you are of the opinion that YOUR project or initiative or some relevant policies & strategies of YOUR country are missing, please let us know via info@net-microplastic.eu. We will be more than happy to add it to the NETmicroplastic database.
New NETmicroplastic members
NETmicroplastic is governed by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (coordinator), supported by its nine core network partners from Austria, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands and its funding body, the Gesellschaft für Forschungsförderung NÖ (GFF). All three parties together form the Steering Board, which on a regular basis evaluates the network’s status and decides on future steps. The NETmicroplastic network strives to extend well beyond its core members, and parties interested in helping tackle the microplastic challenges may join in at any time. The NETmicroplastic membership is free, and its benefits are listed here: https://www.net-microplastic.eu/join-in/.
Today we welcome eight new NETmicroplastic members:
AGES is a government owned agency with a public mission and a research organisation attached to the Federal Ministry for Health and to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management. Key responsibilities of AGES are food safety, agriculture and food security, nutrition, food quality and public health. The department for Soil Health and Plant Nutrition is responsible for soil and fertilizer analysis, including contaminants, soil monitoring tasks in the context of sustainable plant production as well as for national fertiliser control.
The non-profit BioNanoNet Association aims to strengthen innovative research by promoting cooperation and creating synergies among people working in various fields of Health & Safety, Data & Sustainability and Enabling Technologies.
The non-profit BioNanoNet Association aims to strengthen innovative research by promoting cooperation and creating synergies among people working in various fields of Health & Safety, Data & Sustainability and Enabling Technologies.
The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Austria is an independent non-profit organization based in Vienna. The main areas of research and consultancy work include plant production, animal husbandry and sustainable food systems. A core competency of FiBL Austria is sustainability assessment of food supply chains and agricultural systems by analysing aspects of sustainability on product, field, farm/enterprise or sector level.
The Soil and Plant Analysis Unit of the Styrian Provincial Government lists the following fields of activity:
• Soil testing for proper fertilization
• Studies on the application of sewage sludge to agricultural land
• Analyses for the Styrian agricultural soil protection program
• Cross Compliance-controls
• Leaf and fruit analyses
• Analysis of farm fertilizers
As an internationally well-recognized Research Center for Materials Characterization and Non-Destructive Testing, RECENDT GmbH has operated very successfully within the Austrian and international markets since 2009. The range of services incorporates the whole R&D process chain and stretches from application-oriented fundamental research to the development of state-of-the-art technology for industrial applications.
The Edtbauer BIO AUSTRIA dairy cattle farm offers farm holidays and includes a small family business, the “Innovation Farm Edtbauer”. One of their innovations is a “metal wheel 2.0” for motor mowers and balk mowers that has turned into a commercial product, which works against soil compaction, fodder pollution, environmental pollution and soil erosion. Customers can choose between standard wheels and custom-made wheels, which are produced by partner companies in the area.
Witasek works in professional plant protection with many years of experience specialized on forestry and viticulture. The product range includes mechanical tree protection, pheromones and traps, chemical plant protection and mechanical vine protection. Witasek offers a large range of products to protect plants in forestry, wine and fruit growing. With their “Biowit” line, they also have biodegradable alternatives to traditional products.
Conference participation
The 8th International Practitioner Day Compost 2023 took place on 6 September at the compost facilities in Vienna and attracted about 700 presenters and visitors, including compost facility owners and planners, farmers, industry producers, waste managers and related associations, and the interested public. NETmicroplastic joined in and took the opportunity to talk with relevant stakeholders and learn about the latest technological innovations in the fields of biomass production, separation, analysis and transport, which were demonstrated in full operation by about 45 exhibitors.
NETmicroplastic participated in the 1st European Healthy Soils Conference in Muttenz near Basel (on 13-15 September 2023), a 3-day conference that aimed to bring together soil scientists and stakeholders from industry, agriculture and the public sector, and to discuss about how to maintain healthy soils and elucidate opportunities and benefits arising from soil health.
Questionnaire and interviews with compost facility owners and compost plant manufacturers
NETmicroplastic took part in the 8th International Practitioner Day Compost in Vienna, where we handed out to compost facility owners and compost plant manufacturers a mini-questionnaire with 5 plastic-related questions. Of in total 40 questionnaires, more than one third were done in the frame of interviews with randomly chosen participants. Half of the respondents said that plastic amounts to 70% of all disruptive substances in the collected waste and 74% stated that plastic is sorted out mostly manually before composting. A solid majority reported that all types of plastic are removed, while some respondents stated that only nondegradable plastic is removed. “The rustling of the plastic upon touching is different for degradable plastic”, they claimed. When asked for suggestions to reduce or fully avoid plastic in collected waste, greatest potential for improvement was seen regarding changes in the current collection system (30%) and better education of the public (26%). 11% generally want to better control the biowaste bins and collection locations, and 15% want to impose sanctions on people that are adding plastic products to the biowaste bins. These “sanctions” range from non-emptying the bins (as already practiced in some municipalities in Austria) to fines and increased operating costs. 17% of the compost facility owners and compost plant manufacturers wish for alternative, improved plastic materials, more degradable ones and/or restriction and ban of currently existing plastic materials. Least potential for solving the problem of plastic in biowaste was attributed to waste treatment and processing.
Upcoming NETmicroplastic activities
On 8 November 2023 we will organize a webinar on microplastic in compost with experts on waste management, recycling and circularity from industry and academia. The webinar will be held in German, with the title “Kunststoffe und Kompostierung – Aktuelle Herausforderungen und Innovationen zur Mikroplastikvermeidung“. The focus will be on processing and separation techniques and the correct practice of using organic waste bins. For more information on the programme and free registration please visit https://www.net-microplastic.eu/microplastic-webinar/.
NETmicroplastic will participate at the Young Science Congress in Klosterneuburg (AT) supporting the workshop activities of our NETmicroplastic member AGES who is nominated for the Citizen Science Award 2023 with the project “Bunter Boden” and the soil plastic app developed within the EU project Minagris.
That’s all (for now)
“The secret of getting ahead, is getting started”
(Marc Twain)
