Today marked the official start of ISWA 2025 – and right from the beginning, we were treated to a special highlight:

Our honorary professor, Dr. Christoph Scharff, delivered the opening keynote during the President’s Day in his role as former President of ISWA.

With his concise, elegant, and at the same time critical speech, Christoph not only gave us food for thought but also encouraged all of us to continue contributing actively through our work to solving global waste and resource challenges.

One statement stood out in particular:

“When democracy erodes, science suffers.”

A powerful reminder of how closely science, social progress, and democratic values are interconnected.

Thank you, Christoph, for this inspiring and encouraging opening!

We wish all participants engaging discussions, new insights, and much success over the coming days of ISWA 2025.