INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTE ASSOCIATION - Denkstatt

08
Prof E. de Fraja Frangipane, of Italy, led the papers given
by sixteen eminent authors covering the fields of sanitary
landfill, heat recovery and incineration, dust fallout, prefermentation
of compost and the problems of sludge disposal.
Prof de Fraja Frangipane presented an extensive paper on
the present condition and forecasts for the future of refuse
disposal in Italy.
There was much discussion at this conference in Trento on
the future expansion of the science and practice of waste
disposal over a greater international scale. It led rightly to the
fourth International Congress of the International Research
Group on Refuse Disposal (IRGRD) in June 1969 in Basel
Switzerland.
The background to the Trento Congress
The atmosphere in the historic medieval and renaissance city
of Trento was most enjoyable. The city lies in the Adige river
valley in the alpine Dolomites region of the northern part of
Italy. The city is most notable as the location of the Council
of Trent, for the Ecumenical Council between 1545 and 1563.
As a delegate to the Trento Congress, I was fortunate to stay
in the nearby city of Levico Terme in the Grand Imperial Hotel
that had been, in the past, accommodation as the summer
residence for the Imperial Habsburg family of Austria. It was
intriguing that the meals were taken in a separate building,
as this was the Habsburg habit to have their family meals
separate from where they slept and lived because they were
allergic to the smells of cooking.
The delegates were warmly welcomed by the City of Trento
and technical visits were arranged to the composting plants
serving the Trento area and to the Merano composting plant.
The Fourth International Congress of IRGRD held in
Basel in Switzerland from 2 to 5 June 1969
In reality, when we met together in Basel on the River Rhine
in Switzerland, we were a large group of people with many
common interests so we were willing to co-operate enthusiastically
on the effort to expand internationally.
Holding us together under the proposed banner of ISWA
would offer good fortune for such an international effort.
This movement forward was reflected during the discussions
that took place as part of the International Research Group
on Refuse Disposal (IRGRD) Congress held in Basel during
the summer of 1969.
The foundation of ISWA
At the June 1969 Basel Congress, whilst giving the Welcome
Speech and the first main paper entitled “International Cooperation
in the Field of Waste Disposal”, it was a pleasure
for Prof Dr O. Yaag of Switzerland, as Congress President, to
declare that the merger would take place of the International
Association of Public Cleansing (INTAPUC) and the International
Research Group on Refuse Disposal (IRGRD).
On 1 January 1970, both organizations would be united under
a new charter and the new name of the foundation was to be
ISWA, depicting the International Solid Waste and Public
Cleansing Association. The merger had found the approval
of both bodies, and Prof Yaag expressed his appreciation to
the American friends in IRGRD, especially to Mr. Bugher
and his colleagues from the American Solid Waste Management
Association for taking the initiative in all our mutual
interests.
Prof Yaag continued to state that within a few months and
under the new name of ISWA, the IRGRD and INTAPUC
would be co-operating and working on the same problems
that had before been dealt with separately. He was delighted
with this development, as it would enable us to join our
efforts and funds in solving the problems of environmental
sanitation.
Prof Yaag emphasized that other effective co-operation was
being performed by the activity of international organizations,
particularly those associated with the United Nations such
as the WHO, OECD, the European Council and the Atomic
Energy Agencies.
All of which were furthering the work in the field of environmental
engineering by organizing technical meetings and
discussions, introductory courses and seminars, and by
initiating world wide fundamental studies on special subjects
and by issuing technical Bulletins.
The opportunities for international co-operation
In the second main paper presented at the Basel Congress in
June 1969 entitled “Duties of the State and Local Authorities
in Maintaining the Cleanliness of Our Habitat”, Prof Richard
Kojetinsky of Austria outlined these duties of the state and
local authorities.
At the conclusion of his paper, Prof Kojetinsky stated... “That
he hoped you don’t consider it impolite, if after the European
Council and World Health Organization, I’m going to talk
about the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing
Association -- ISWA. This morning, our distinguished Congress
president, Prof Yaag, officially announced the merger of the
International Research Group on Refuse Disposal (IRGRD)
and INTAPUC into ISWA.This merger will establish the
essential concentration of international co-operation, eliminate
the duplication of efforts, and our capacity to tackle the many
unsolved problems will be enhanced. We hope we will reach
our goals better, faster and most beneficially for the general
public. The prerequisites for a successful accomplishment
are met. Technological and scientific work is most suitable
for international co-operation, because it is almost free of