Who we are
About us

Our Mission

The PREVENT Waste Alliance wants to contribute to minimising waste, eliminating pollutants and maximising the reuse of resources in the economy worldwide. We work together for waste prevention, collection, and recycling as well as the increased uptake of secondary resources in low- and middle-income countries.

Our Structure

The PREVENT Waste Alliance is a multi-stakeholder partnership that brings together different actors from the private sector, academia, civil society and public institutions.

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Steering Comittee

The steering committee is responsible for strategic decisions and public representation of the PREVENT Waste Alliance. It is composed of two representatives from the private sector, civil society and academia, and up to three representatives from public institutions. Click through the gallery to get to know the members of our steering committee!

Circular economy is a tool, not an end in itself.

Academia

Henning Wilts

Wuppertal Institute, HafenCity University Hamburg

Director for Circular Economy, Professor for Circular Economy

https://wupperinst.org/

Prevent waste, promote a circular economy, secure the future.

Public institutions

Lars Selwig

BMZ - Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

Head of Division: Water and Circular Economy

https://www.bmz.de/

Building an equal zero-waste future for all.

Civil society

Ahmed Tiamiyu

Community Action Against Plastic Waste (CAPws)

Research Scientist

https://www.capws.org/

The circular economy is not just an idea, it’s a necessity.

Private sector

Reinhardt Smit

Closing the Loop

Co-Founder

https://www.closingtheloop.eu/

We need a targeted approach and a strong network for environmental protection and resource efficiency.

Private sector

Sylvi Claussnitzer

German RETech Partnership

Managing Director

https://www.retech-germany.net/en/

Waste is value and waste pickers are our invisible experts.

Civil society

Thierry Sanders

BVRio.org

Co-Founder & CEO

https://bvrio.org/

Circular economy for resource and climate protection.

Public institutions

Andreas Jaron

BMUV - Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection

Head of Division: Circular Economy and Transboundary Movements of Waste

https://www.bmuv.de/en/

Make circularity economical!

Academia

Dr. Otmar Deubzer

United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

Scientific Advisor

https://www.unitar.org/

Plenary

All members of the PREVENT Waste Alliance are part of the plenary. Meetings take place at least once a year, where the working groups present results and the plenary discusses next steps of the PREVENT Waste Alliance.

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Our Working Groups

Working Group

Plastics

Working Group

E-Waste and Batteries

Working Group

Organics

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Advisory Board & Strategic Partners

Renowned experts and stakeholders, especially international organisations and initiatives, support the PREVENT Waste Alliance via the advisory board. They ensure that the activities of PREVENT and other international initiatives are coherent and provide technical advice.

Secretariat

The secretariat organises the meetings of the plenary and the steering committee, supports the working groups and is responsible for the communication of the PREVENT Waste Alliance. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has commissioned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to fulfil the secretariat function.

Nicole Bendsen

PREVENT Secretariat

contact[at]prevent-waste.net
+49 228 4460-3889

Eva Doerr

PREVENT Communications

communication[at]prevent-waste.net
+49 6196 79-7125

Anika Schumann

PREVENT Communications & Member Management

communication[at]prevent-waste.net
+49 6196 79-1134

Funders

Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany)

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Member List

Access our full member list and filter members by stakeholder group.

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Our Topics

Our working groups currently focus on three material streams: plastics, e-waste and batteries, and organic waste.

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