IFAT is the world’s largest environmental technology trade fair. It is where more than 3,300 exhibitors from all over the world present their solutions for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management to around 150,000 international trade visitors. Traditionally, the UK is well represented—both in terms of exhibitors and visitors. The fair will take place from May 4 to 8, 2020 in Munich, Germany. This year’s edition will illustrate how important the contribution is that a modern circular economy and waste management industry make to climate protection.
“Being the world’s most important platform for environmental technologies, IFAT offers the ideal setting for top market players to find out about latest trends and challenges in the various markets. It is also the perfect platform to discuss strategies for making the best possible and sustainable use of resources, from plastic to building materials up to water,” explains Philipp Eisenmann, Exhibition Director IFAT. The trade fair spans 270,000 square meters—and thus occupies all 18 halls as well as an extensive open-air exhibition area of Messe MĂĽnchen. Half of the exhibition is dedicated to the water and sewage sector and half to waste and raw material management. 48 percent of exhibitors and 49 percent of visitors come from abroad, making IFAT the most international trade event in the field of environmental technologies.
“The UK ranks among the top ten international exhibitor and visitor countries,” Eisenmann continues. For this year, UK registrations include companies like: Terex Ecotec, De Nora, EDGE Innovate and CK International. Among the countries represented are pavilions from Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey and the US, which contribute to IFAT’s cross-border success.
“From the European Green Deal to the new five-year plan in China (2021-2025): governments around the world are investing and creating incentives to combine economy and ecology,” Eisenmann emphasizes the strong prospects for the environmental technology industry. Strengthening the circular economy plays an important role here—”and circular economy ultimately means a raw material shift” says the IFAT boss.
The recycling sector supplies industry and trade with secondary raw materials, which is a major contribution to energy saving and thus also to climate protection. In the steel, glass and paper industries, this is impressively demonstrated by the high use rates of secondary raw materials. There is also a high potential for climate protection, especially in the plastics sector, but also in the use of recycled construction materials. Circular economy is crucial in water management too: In view of the increasing water shortage worldwide, partly caused by climate change, it is more important than ever to make maximum use of this resource. IFAT covers the whole spectrum of the water sector, from water supply and recycling to disposal.
