REGIONALE 2025 Bergisches RheinLand Congress Showcases Circular Economy Leadership with Strong Presence from ESEIA Members

The REGIONALE 2025 Bergisches RheinLand “All Resources! Resource Landscape in the Bergisches RheinLand” took place on 28 October 2025 at :metabolon, Lindlar, DE, a flagship circular-economy initiative developed in partnership by the Bergischer Abfallwirtschaftsverband (BAV) and TH Köln, both active members of the ESEIA. Bringing together more than 300 participants from key resource sectors, academia, public administration, and politics, the congress highlighted the region’s commitment to advancing circular solutions within the REGIONALE 2025 programme.

As a transformed former landfill in Lindlar, Bergisches RheinLand, DE, :metabolon demonstrates how BAV and TH Köln have created a living laboratory for resource recovery, waste-to-energy solutions, and hands-on circular-economy education. This context is reflected in the newly released REGIONALE 2025 video, which captures the site tours, expert presentations, and discussions underlining the importance of sustainable resource management for North Rhine-Westphalia.

ESEIA Members played a prominent role at the event, including Monika Lichtinghagen-Wirths, ESEIA Vice-President and CEO of BAV, DE, Christian Wolf,  TH Köln, DE and Michael Narodoslawsky, ESEIA Co-Founder, TU Graz, AT.

Building on this collaboration, ESEIA, BAV, and TH Köln most recently jointly hosted the ESEIA International Summer School 2025, held at :metabolon, focusing on the circular economy in industry. Through such initiatives, :metabolon has evolved into a European best-practice model for applied circular transformation, innovation, and education.

Watch the video by REGIONALE 2025 and ESEIA members declarations: