SARDINIA 2025 – 20th International Symposium on Waste Management, Resource Recovery and Sustainable Landfilling was held from 13th to 17th October 2025 at the Forte Village Resort in Sardinia, Italy.
The Symposium was organised by IWWG–International Waste Working Group with the scientific involvement of the University of Padova (IT), BOKU University Vienna (AT), Hamburg University of Technology (DE), Luleå University of Technology (SE) and Tongji University (CN).
This 20th edition brought together 461 delegates coming from all around the world, representing 49 different countries. The largest delegation came from China (35 attendees), followed by Austria, Sweden, Germany.
The programme included more than 400 scientific presentations organised in 8 parallel tracks of oral sessions, workshops and posters, lively social events and outstanding networking opportunities.
As per tradition, the symposium included 4 Focus Sessions, moderated by different symposium chairs or members of the international advisory board with focal points on current issues of waste management and landfilling. In the first Focus Session on AI in waste management, the panelists and the audience explored whether AI is a curse or blessing for waste management. As expected, the answer is not clear-cut: AI offers enormous opportunities, but at the same time limitations and algorithmic biases. And it was during this session that the internet went down... The other, all very well attended focus sessions, dealt with the issues of the future of landfills (against the backdrop of new legal regulations at EU level that are currently being drafted), EU targets for textile recycling (legislation alone cannot solve the problem – a transformation of the entire textile value chain is needed) and advancing the Circular Economy (with a clear statement, that particularly the product design will and can make the difference).
The scientific sessions (including workshops and active labs) covered a wide range of topics, reflecting the current challenges and research focus points in waste and resource management. Circular economy and recycling approaches for “modern” waste streams such as batteries, PV panels, construction materials and WEEE were well represented and framed the sessions on landfilling (which clearly demonstrated that the landfills are increasingly understood and their environmental impact is being controlled), biomass management (recent developments in the bioeconomy and food waste reduction) and plastic waste treatment. The latter topic showed multiple facets, reaching from circularity aspects to the fate of microplastics in our environment, with still unknown consequences for the health of human beings and animals. Further topics included thermal treatment, waste water and sewage sludge (included PFAS) and waste management in developing countries. It was interesting to notice, that beside these technical sessions a number of 12 sessions focused on non-technical issues, such as education, communication and digital solutions in waste management.
The framework of the symposium was the beautiful setting of Forte Village Resort during the early autumn season. The delegates enjoyed several social events organized by the symposium team and the delegation of the special guest country in 2025, South Africa, under the leadership of Cristina Trois, President of the IWWG and Professor at the Stellenbosch University (ZA). Highlights to be mentioned here were the welcome party at the pool with a South African corner, a virtual safari to meet the big five (not only the animals, but also the waste problems associated with them), a vine tasting, combining vines from Sardinia and South Africa and the traditional Sardinian Dinner. An astonishing evening entertainment was made by delegates for delegates (Karaoke night and the famous Sardinia's Got Talent show).
The 2025 Sardinia Award "A Life for Waste", a prestigious recognition given biennially to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advances in international waste management research and technology, was awarded to Prof. Thomas H. Christensen from the Technical University of Denmark (DK). Prof. Christensen, one of the founders of the Sardinia Symposium in 1987, underlined with his introductory lecture about the future of waste management in a fossil-free society that he is definitely one of the leading scientists in modern waste management worldwide.
As per tradition, the Symposium ended with the Gala Dinner and the award ceremony for Best Papers and the IWWG Award "Waste Vision 2100". To sum up, SARDINIA 2025 was an amazing event and both delegates and organizers are already looking very much forward to 2027, when the symposium will celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Dr. Marco Ritzkowski
IWWG Managing Director
