Landfill goals vs reality
Across Central-Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, cities are under growing pressure to cut landfilling, meet EU circular economy targets, and unlock the value hidden in their waste streams. Our session brings together experts, legislators, innovators, technology providers, and municipal leaders to explore the latest solutions transforming MSW management – from advanced sorting and bio-treatment to circular material recovery and next-generation waste-to-resource systems. Join us to discover scalable pathways toward zero landfill, learn from regional best practices, and connect with partners shaping a cleaner, more resilient waste future in our region.
Organisers
Venue: HUNGEXPO Budapest Congress and Exhibition Center
(1101 Budapest Albertirsai út 10.)
Date: 8 October 2026
Gold Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Concept
It is timely to review the methods and technologies for managing municipal waste, as the 2035 landfill targets are on many Member States’ agendas as an ambitious goal. The current landfilling situation, its legislative framework, existing infrastructure, and other specific factors will be assessed, considering the relevant targets, the present circumstances, and the anticipated changes in EU legislation.
The target is to reduce the amount of municipal waste landfilled in landfills to 10% (by weight) or less of the total amount of municipal waste generated by 2035. The target may be postponed by up to five years under certain conditions. Even in this case, the amount of municipal waste landfilled must be reduced to at least 25% by 2035.
In the Central and South-Eastern European region, all Member States are in the 40-80% range, so 4 to 8 times more waste is going to landfill, with a loss of raw materials, additional methane emissions, and, more recently, a multiplying number of fire events. Moreover, there are regions where waste collection systems and even landfills are still lacking, or where waste is disposed of.
We aim to provide current information on the development options and financing related to waste collection and treatment, landfill and its operation, monitoring systems, leachate management, increasing fires, and practical operational issues such as emergency management, prevention technologies, and odour control.
Target groups of the conference: legislators, relevant authorities, waste management and circular economy experts, municipal waste landfill operators, public service companies, measurement and sampling companies, researchers
OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
The Big Picture Session
10.00 – Greetings and the big picture from ISWA – James Law, President of ISWA
10.10 – Greetings and the vision of a new ministry – Hungarian Ministry for Living Environment
10.20 – Legislation background #1: EU-Legislation, BREF requirements and road to 10% – René Rosendal, Chair of ISWA Working Group on Landfill, partner at Danish Waste Solutions ApS, Senior Project Manager at AV Miljø Landfill
10.40 – Legislation background #2: EPR schemes are the real Game-Changer? – Dr. Krisztina Wegner, senior environmental lawyer and circular economy expert, First Development Ltd.
11.00 – Waste management issues in the region – Aleksandra Vucic Anic, Leader of ISWA Southeast European Chapter
11.20 – Q&A
11.30 – COFFEE BREAK
The Tech-Session
11.50 – Data-Driven Landfill Management: Monitoring Leachate Generation and Environmental Emissions – Erika Horváth, Klarwin Hungary Ltd.
12.05 – Advanced Leachate Treatment: PFAS Removal and Water Reuse Using Reverse Osmosis – Erika Horváth, Klarwin Hungary Ltd.
12.20 – Landfill capping and environment management
12.35 – Landfill gas management and methane emission – Dr. László Aleksza, associate professor, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), managing director, Profikomp Ltd.
12.50 – Fire hazard in Waste Management, or Playing with Fire – Roland Ladányi, Managing Director, MiReHu Nonprofit Ltd.
13.05 – Aftercare and recultviation
13.20 – Landfill and urban mining
13.35 – Closing dumpsities – financing the switchover – James Law, President of ISWA, Project Director at SCS Engingeers
13.50 – Q&A
14.00 – LUNCH BREAK & EXPO VISIT
15.00 – The session of Natioinal and International Sections
SECTION A – Country reports: 12′ each x6 speaker
SECTION B – Hungarian section: 15′ each x6 speaker
- Hungary: how to go below 50%? – Hungarian Ministry for Living Environment
- Croatia: Lana Krišto, president, HUGO/CROWMA
- Serbia: landfill situation, current issues
- Northern Macedonia: Financing landfill planning and building in accession countries –Vlatko Trajkoski, president, MASWA
- Ukraine/Transcarpathia: Regional Council/Rakhiv Municipality
- Hungarian legislation – road to 10%, status quo, capacities, permitting – Hungarian Ministry for Living Environment
- Key findings and roadmap from the national landfill conference – Csaba Markó, HAEE
- Waste analysis – what goes to landfill? –
- Landfill tax – data reporting and control
- Zero Landfill initiative – Attila Maxim Ferenczi, Reco Waste Management Ltd.
- What changed since MOHU?
How has the economic landscape for landfills changed?
What are the implications of the concession system?
What will be the future business and revenue model of landfills?
Q&A
16.15 – Closing remarks and next steps
