Thomas Højlund Christensen

Thomas Højlund Christensen is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark. His research focuses on waste management systems, life cycle assessment (LCA), and sustainable resource utilization. He holds degrees from Technical University of Denmark (MSc, 1974), University of Washington (PhD in Water Chemistry, 1980), and University of Copenhagen (Dr.Agro in Soil Chemistry, 1990).

• Education:
• MSc in Solid Waste Technology (DTU, 1974)
• PhD in Water Chemistry (University of Washington, 1980)
• Dr.Agro in Soil Chemistry (University of Copenhagen, 1990)

Research interests include waste treatment technologies, recycling strategies, landfill leachate management, and the environmental impact of waste disposal. He pioneered the EASETECH/EASEWASTE model for waste management system analysis. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to responsible consumption and climate action.

He has advised over 60 master’s and 30 PhD students. Notable collaborations include the Danish Competence Center for Waste (DAKOFA) and international bodies like ISWA and IWWG. He co-founded the journal Waste Management & Research and authored the textbook Solid Waste Technology & Management (Wiley, 2011).

• Scientific Awards:
• Member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences

His advising and grant work spans projects like LCA modeling of waste technologies and future scenario analyses in solid waste management. He also leads research on bioplastics in circular economies and in-situ soil remediation.