Romana Kopecka

Romana Kopecka M.Sc. is a researcher at the Institute of Waste Management and Circularity within the Department of Landscape, Water and Infrastructure at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). She is actively involved in contemporary waste management research with a focus on circular economy principles and sustainable development.

Her research interests span waste management systems, circular economy frameworks, sustainable development goals implementation, material flow analysis, waste incineration technologies with carbon capture, and environmental policy development. She particularly focuses on the integration of waste management practices with broader sustainability frameworks.

Her publication and presentation record shows a strong emphasis on the role of temporary material hubs in circular economy systems, waste sector contributions to climate change mitigation, and the alignment of waste management practices with international sustainability frameworks like the SDGs and IPCC recommendations. Her work demonstrates a systems-thinking approach to waste management challenges.

Romana collaborates with researchers including Marion Huber-Humer and M. Hrad on projects funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), indicating strong institutional support for her research direction. She regularly presents her findings at major waste management conferences including the DGAW-Wissenschaftskongress and Österreichische Abfallwirtschaftstagung.