During the IFAT trade fair, the General Assembly made key personnel decisions and set out the association’s strategy for the coming years.

The members of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Kreislaufwirtschaft (Federal Association of the German Waste Management, Water and Recycling Industry, BDE) unanimously elected the previous interims president, Matthias Harms, as the new president, the association announced. The long-standing deputy full-time president, Dr Andreas Bruckschen, was also unanimously appointed as chief executive by the executive committee, it added. According to the statement, the by-election of Guido Adomßent (Veolia Umweltservice GmbH) to the Presidium, the block election of Vedad Delic (MVV Umwelt GmbH) and Stephan Sielaff (SSI Schäfer Plastics GmbH) to the Executive Board, and the election of Barbara Moers (EGN Entsorgungsgesellschaft Niederrhein mbH) as auditor were also approved unanimously.
 
Following his election, Matthias Harms emphasised the importance of the association’s unity: “I would like to thank the members for their great trust. The unanimous election sends a strong signal of cohesion and the ability to act during a phase of profound change for our industry.” Looking ahead to future tasks, Harms explained: “The circular economy is a key building block for resilience, raw material security and a sustainable industrial policy.” Especially in times of geo-economic risks, he said, it is crucial to secure stable value chains and strengthen Germany and Europe as industrial locations. The BDE will continue to fulfil this role with determination. The association is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year. Since 1961, the BDE has been committed to establishing and further developing an efficient circular economy.
 
Sources:

• BDE press release (6.5.2026)
• Photo: © BDE