Mandy Hinzmann

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Mandy Hinzmann

MA (Sustainability Economics)
BA (International Political Management)

Fellow

Team
Topics

Mandy Hinzmann is a Fellow at Ecologic Institute. Her main research fields are circular economy, resource conservation, waste avoidance, eco-innovations and sustainable consumption. She is further interested in the nexus of resource conservation and climate protection policies. She works in German and English and has good knowledge of Spanish.

Her work focuses on the analysis of policy options aimed at conserving natural resources and establishing a circular economy. In particular, she investigates approaches to foster a circular textile economy. On behalf of the European Commission, Mandy Hinzmann co-authored a study on textile fibre recycling in the EU. For this, she analysed policy measures to promote high-quality textile recycling and to make the fashion industry more circular and sustainable. In the follow-up project to Circular City Berlin, Mandy Hinzmann will work on innovative concepts for the collection, sorting, recycling and reuse of discarded textiles.

Mandy Hinzmann also works on the topic of plastic pollution. She is currently coordinating the Ecologic Institute's contributions to the Citizen Science project "Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!". In addition, she supports research on circular economy approaches for plastics in the research program "Plastic in the Environment", funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Before joining Ecologic Institute, Mandy Hinzmann worked at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in the Department of Environmental Politics.

Mandy Hinzmann studied Sustainable Economics at the University of Kassel (Germany). Prior to this she studied International Political Management at the Bremen University of Applied Science (Germany) and completed a semester abroad at the University of Concepción (Chile).

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Selected projects by Mandy Hinzmann

Circular Economy & Green Innovations

ProjectTechnical, Regulatory, Economic and Environmental Effectiveness of Textile Fibres Recycling
 

Textiles, including clothing, are a priority product category for the circular economy and one of the focus sectors of the new Circular Economy Action Plan. The textiles sector is a relevant economic sector in the EU, both in terms of job and value creation, as well as... Read more

Technical, Regulatory, Economic and Environmental Effectiveness of Textile Fibres Recycling

Duration
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Funding
ProjectCircular City Berlin – From potential towards implementation (CiBER 1)
 

Photo by 🇨🇭 Claudio Schwarz | @purzlbaum on Unsplash (modified by IZT)

The project "Circular City Berlin – from potential towards implementation (CiBER 1)" analysed and promoted innovative approaches to the circular economy in various sectors in Berlin. In view of the expected further growth, urban densification and increased economic... Read more

Circular City Berlin – From potential towards implementation (CiBER 1)

Duration
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Funding

Combating Plastic Pollution

ProjectPlastic Pirates – Go Europe! – German campaign
 
© BMBF/Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!
A torn plastic bag on the riverbank or a yoghurt cup floating in the water are symptoms of serious interference with the highly complex system of seas, the ocean and flowing waterways. The Plastic Pirates – Go Europe! project focuses on this plastic waste problem and... Read more

Plastic Pirates – Go Europe! – German campaign

Duration
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ProjectScientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)
 
| Fotolia © Christian Schulz
In the framework of the scientific accompanying research (PlastikNet) of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (Plastik in der Umwelt – Quellen • Senken • Lösungsansätze) Ecologic Institute coordinated 20 joint research projects,... Read more

Scientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)

Duration
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Funding

Nexus Climate Protection & Resource Conservation

ProjectIdentifying and Assessing Interactions between International Climate and Resource Policy (ICARE)
 
©HengKongChen|Fotolia.com
Climate and resource policy are important fields of action at international and national level. In contrast to climate protection, there is no international policy regime for resource conservation and its societal relevance appears lower than for climate protection.... Read more

Identifying and Assessing Interactions between International Climate and Resource Policy (ICARE)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectTransformation to Climate Resilient and Resource-conserving Infrastructure (TRAFIS)
 
| Fotolia © thomas haltinner
The TRAFIS project investigates the development of climate resilient and resource-conserving infrastructures through the lens of transition and action research. The project focuses primarily on interlinked infrastructures. Infrastructure and infrastructure systems... Read more

Transformation to Climate Resilient and Resource-conserving Infrastructure (TRAFIS)

Duration
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Funding

Sustainable Resource Policies

ProjectFP 7DYNAmic policy MIXes for Absolute Decoupling of Environmental Impact of EU Resource Use from Economic Growth (DYNAMIX)
 
At the end of March 2016, the European Union FP7 research project DYNAMIX came to a close. DYNAMIX aimed at proposing policy mixes that can foster shifting the EU onto a pathway where its resource use and the associated environmental impacts decline in absolute terms... Read more

DYNAmic policy MIXes for Absolute Decoupling of Environmental Impact of EU Resource Use from Economic Growth (DYNAMIX)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectFP 7Research Network in Climate, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (RECREATE)
 

© Recreate project

The Research Network in Climate, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (RECREATE) will assess the impacts of research and innovation in Europe and beyond, as well as derive an outlook and recommendations for future research priorities in the fields of climate, resource... Read more

Research Network in Climate, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (RECREATE)

Duration
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Funding
Selected publications by Mandy Hinzmann

Circular Economy

PublicationReportStudy on the Technical, Regulatory, Economic and Environmental Effectiveness of Textile Fibres Recycling
 

Background image by Alejo Reinoso on Unsplash

A knowledge base on the effectiveness of textile-to-textile recycling technologies The textile industry is facing the challenge of reducing its environmental footprint and social burden along global value chains. In the European Union, work is already underway to... Read more

Duhoux, Tom et al. 2021: Study on the technical, regulatory, economic and environmental effectiveness of textile fibres recycling. Final Report to the European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. European Commission: Brussels.

PublicationArticleExploring Perspectives on Climate-resource-nexus Policies
 
journal's cover

© Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems – JSDEWES

Natural resource extraction and processing accounted for 23 % of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2015. Therefore, reducing resource use through resource efficiency promises significant contributions to climate protection. This "climate-resource-nexus" has mostly been... Read more

Hirschnitz-Garbers, M., Araujo Sosa, A., Hinzmann, M., Exploring perspectives on climate-resource-nexus policies: barriers and relevance in different world regions, J.sustain. dev. energy water environ. syst., 1090408, DOI: https://doi.org/10.13044/j.sdewes.d9.0408

PublicationReportZirkuläre Innovationen im Bereich Bauen in Berlin
 
Cover with photo of the city of Berlin

© Ecologic Institute

The innovation field of construction is a resource-relevant field in Berlin – in 2017, the construction sector accounted for about 22 percent of the raw material input of the state of Berlin. Currently, the recycling rate for mineral construction waste is around 50... Read more

Hirschnitz-Garbers, M. and Hinzmann, M. (2021). Zirkuläre Innovationen im Bereich Bauen in Berlin –Potenziale und Governance-Ansätze (Wissen. Wandel. Berlin. Report Nr. 6). Berlin: Ecologic Institute, Forschungsverbund Ecornet Berlin.

Plastic Governance & Waste Avoidance

PublicationReportHintergrundpapier: Plastikpolitik in Deutschland und der EU
 
Plastic pollution – especially the dramatic littering of the oceans – and the public concerns about it have powerfully brought the issue on the European and German political agenda. Since then, there have been a whole series of new initiatives to regulate plastics -... Read more

Mederake, Linda; Hinzmann, Mandy; Langsdorf, Susanne (2020): Hintergrundpapier: Plastikpolitik in Deutschland und der EU. Ecologic Institut: Berlin.

PublicationPolicy BriefStepping up Waste Prevention
 
RECREATE Policy Brief No. 7
Ecologic Institute co-authored the RECREATE policy brief no. 7 on challenges and opportunities for national waste prevention programs. The authors state that the political framework needs to be more enabling and with further support for research and development targeted... Read more

Fischer, Susanne; Mandy Hinzmann and Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers (2017). Stepping up Waste Prevention – Challenges and Opportunities for National Waste Prevention Programmes. RECREATE Project Policy Brief No. 7.

Green Innovations

PublicationArticleAn Acceptance Analysis of Subsoil Amelioration Amongst Agricultural Actors in Two Regions in Germany
 
publication's first page of the pdf

© 2021 Hinzmann, Ittner, Kiresiewa and Gerdes

The subsoil could play an important role for agricultural climate adaptation strategies. It is defined as soil layers below the working depth of 30 cm. The subsoil often receives little attention in farming practice. Yet, plants extract between 10 and 80% of their... Read more

Hinzmann M, Ittner S, Kiresiewa Z and Gerdes H (2021). An Acceptance Analysis of Subsoil Amelioration Amongst Agricultural Actors in Two Regions in Germany. Front. Agron. 3:660593. doi: 10.3389/fagro.2021.660593

PublicationArticleThe "Invisible" Subsoil
 
Hidden beneath the humus-rich topsoil, the subsoil usually receives little attention in agricultural practice. Yet, plants cover between 10 and 80% of their nutrient and water needs from subsoils. Measures to improve the subsoil could help in bridging droughts and... Read more

Frelih-Larsen, A.; Hinzmann, M.; Ittner, S. (2018). The 'Invisible' Subsoil: An Exploratory View of Societal Acceptance of Subsoil Management in Germany. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3006.
doi:10.3390/su10093006

PublicationReportDie Wahrnehmung von In-Vitro-Fleisch in Deutschland
 
PolRess 2 – Kurzanalyse
The short analysis by Mandy Hinzmann gives an overview of the different positions on laboratory-produced artificial meat and shows the lines of argumentation of different stakeholder groups in Germany. The study is available for download. In view of the fact that... Read more

Hinzmann, Mandy (2018): Die Wahrnehmung von In-Vitro-Fleisch in Deutschland: Analyse der gesellschaftlichen Diskurse. Kurzanalyse im Projekt Ressourcenpolitik 2 (PolRess 2). www.ressourcenpolitik.de

PublicationReportArgumentation für eine nachfrageseitige Innovationspolitik aus der Perspektive der Ressourcenpolitik
 
Hinzmann, M. und Hirschnitz-Garbers, M. (2015): Argumentation für nachfrageseitige Innovationspolitik aus der Perspektive der Ressourcenpolitik. Kurzanalyse 23 im Projekt Ressourcenpolitik: Analyse der ressourcenpolitischen Debatte und Entwicklung von Politikoptionen ... Read more

Hinzmann, M. und Hirschnitz-Garbers, M. (2015): Argumentation für nachfrageseitige Innovationspolitik aus der Perspektive der Ressourcenpolitik. Kurzanalyse 23 im Projekt Ressourcenpolitik: Analyse der ressourcenpolitischen Debatte und Entwicklung von Politikoptionen (PolRess).

Selected presentations by Mandy Hinzmann
PresentationSpeechTransforming Infrastructures towards Sustainability – lessons learnt from ICT-based peer-to-peer carsharing service Drivy in Germany
 
© R. Stuermer, WRF2017
The World Resources Forum 2017 entitled "Accelerating the Resource Revolution" was held in Geneva from 24 to 25 October 2017. Ecologic Institute's Mandy Hinzmann presented the TRAFIS project with a lecture on "Transforming infrastructures towards sustainability -... Read more

Speech:Transforming Infrastructures towards Sustainability – lessons learnt from ICT-based peer-to-peer carsharing service Drivy in Germany

Date
Location
Geneva, Switzerland

Recent content by Mandy Hinzmann

Publication:Report
 
cover of the UBA report "Ressourceneffizienz und natürliche Ressourcen im internationalen Kontext. Entwicklungslinien der Ressourcenpolitik mit Schwerpunkt auf Ressourcenschonung und Ressourceneffizienz"
This report analyzes documents and formats focusing on resource efficiency, resource conservation and the circular economy at the German, European and international level. It outlines significant developments and expected trends in resource policy and identifies research needs. Given the rapid increase in global resource use, driven by population growth and economic expansion, the transition to a resource-efficient and circular economy is a key challenge. This need is reinforced by various global crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and increasing resource dependency. The report emphasizes that innovative and effective policies are needed at both national and international levels to promote and implement this transition.

Ressourceneffizienz und natürliche Ressourcen im internationalen Kontext

Entwicklungslinien der Ressourcenpolitik mit Schwerpunkt auf Ressourcenschonung und Ressourceneffizienz

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News
 
In October 2023, it was time for the "Plastic Pirates" team of the Ecologic Institute to leave their desks and embark on a quest to find plastic waste. In autumn weather, the "Eco" Plastic Pirates explored the river Havel in Berlin-Spandau and made some interesting discoveries. Among their findings were 502 cigarette butts, 120 bottle caps, and 45 plastic bags.
 

How the "Eco" Plastic Pirates Team is Fighting Plastic Pollution in the Havel

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Publication:Article
 
First page of the community case study "Sharing communication insights of the citizen science program Plastic Pirates—best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research"
This article illustrates the communication strategies that were successfully applied in the citizen science program Plastic Pirates in Germany. The program engages schoolchildren, teachers and youth groups in plastic pollution research. A variety of communication strategies have been implemented and continuously revised and adapted since the start of the program in 2016.

Sharing Communication Insights of the Citizen Science Program Plastic Pirates

Best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research

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Project
 
Since 2016, young people have been successfully researching and mapping plastic pollution in and around rivers in Germany. Now the expeditions are going into a new round: In the project "Plastic Pirates – German coast", school classes and youth groups search for plastic waste on the coasts and the river system of the Elbe – including its tributaries such as the Havel, Mulde or Saale.

Plastic Pirates – German coast

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Publication:Article
 
Hinzmann Mederake EU single use plastics directive article
This article, co-authored by Mandy Hinzmann and Linda Mederake from Ecologic Institute, assesses the potential of the EU "Single-Use Plastics Directive" (SUPD) to reduce litter pollution in the environment with three scenarios. The scenario analysis revealed that the success the current SUPD can be an important first step, yet further legislative actions are needed to effectively prevent plastic waste pollution - bans alone are not sufficient. The success of the Directive is therefore highly dependent on implementation and enforcement.

What Potential Does the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive Have for Reducing Plastic Pollution at Coastlines and Riversides?

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Presentation:Lecture
 
Title Slide Presentation
On 29 March 2023, Doris Knoblauch and Mandy Hinzmann gave a lecture on "Plastics and the Environment" in a postgraduate course, where 19 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and industry from low-income countries and emerging economies were represented and exchanged. The focus was on reducing plastics in the environment, on different responsibilities and concerns from a global perspective on the one hand, and on the textile sector on the other hand.

Plastics & The Environment – Responsibilities and Implications Between North and South


Doris Knoblauch

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Event:Conference
 
The German Environment Agency (UBA) is pleased to announce the 6th European Resources Forum – "Transformative approaches for sustainable resource use and a circular economy."

European Resources Forum 2022online


online

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News
 
Mandy Hinzmann and Doris Knoblauch (both Ecologic Institute) each accompanied a class in October 2022 with the Plastic Pirates, a Citizen Science campaign to collect data on (plastic) waste pollution in rivers. The students take on the role of scientists and collect, sort and catalogue litter according to scientific methods. The results are checked and incorporated into a large study.
 

Ecologic Institute Accompanies School Classes within the Plastic Pirates Campaign

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