Norbert Kopytziok, was born in 1954 in Osnabrück. He studied engineering and he successfully graduated aged 22. Subsequently, he studied industrial sociology to identify mechanisms of humanising work life. In 1995 Norbert Kopytziok completed his PhD on an environmental topic. His habilitation thesis followed in 2001 in co-operation with a public sector company on “Waste and Sustainable Development”.

A few years earlier, in 1983, Norbert Kopytziok founded the Institute of Ecological Recycling in Berlin and acted as its executive director for ten years. Following this, he accepted a post as the head of environmental issues for the regional government of Schleswig-Holstein. After having been in this position for five years he would have liked to become a university lecturer. However, since this was not possible he opened an office for environmental sciences and worked on studies and projects on environmental protection and resource management. Norbert Kopytziok has published and shared his scientific insights at his teaching assignments at various universities as well as in journals and books.

Norbert Kopytziok successfully implemented the environmental management system EMAS at two German universities, in 2009/10 at Brandenburg Technical University and in 2011/2012 at the University of Kiel. Since then he has acted as head of the climate protection coordination office “klik” aiming to establish a climate neutral university environment by 2030.

Norbert Kopytziok received several awards for his engagement related to environmental protection. One of these awards was the Berlin Environment Award 1993 for developing the AIR-PACK, a recyclable air bag which functions as reusable packaging. A further award was the “German Material Efficiency Award” acquired for a lecture series on environmentally sustainable product development for students of industrial design programmes.

Career qualifications:

• Since 2011 Ecological Manager at the University of Kiel.
• From 2001 - 2010 Director at the Office for  Environmental Science Berlin and lecturer for Eco-Design at the University of Art in Berlin and for resource management at the Berlin School of Economics.
• From 1996 - 2001 Department head for ecological material and waste management at State Office for Nature and Environment of Schleswig-Holstein (Landesamt für Natur und Umwelt des Landes Schleswig-Holstein.)
  Job concentration: Prevention of municipal wastes, reduction of construction related environmental burdens, and environmental management.
• 1983 founding of the privately administered Institute for Ecological Recycling (Institut für Ökologisches Recycling) in Berlin.
  Projects and research on preventive environmental protection - primarily in connection with waste prevention.
  Process chain research of consumer goods: determination of the ecological effects of raw materials as well as demolition, processing, transport, utilisation and disposal.
  

University education:

• Graduation and Habilitation at the University of Kassel. 
• Professorial thesis on global aspects of regional environmental planning on the basis of material stream processing observations.
• Doctoral thesis on ecological effectiveness of waste prevention and recycling of municipal wastes. 
• Study of industrial sociology at the University of Bielefeld and the Free University of Berlin.
• Engineering systems study at the Fachhochschule, Reutlingen.

Instruction:

• Teaching contracts
  - at the Berlin School of Economics (WS 2006/07)
  - at the University of Art Berlin (SS 2005 - WS 2006/07)
  - at the University of Lüneburg (SS 2000)
  - at the College of Arts Berlin (1991 - 1996)
• From 1988 - 1997 seminars on continued education for specialists in environmental protection.
• Numerous individual lectures on ecological material and waste management in regional and federal seminars.
  (see Fields of Activity)

Publications:

• Publication of dissertation, Habilitation dissertation, studies prepared for public use and numerous specialist articles
  (You may find an overview of publications on the page Publications)

Awards:

• 2008 Environment Award Berlin-Mitte for a regional project for resource management (details).
• 2006 German Material Efficiency Award from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology of Germany (details).
• 1993 the Berlin Environment Award for the development of the AIR-PACK, a reusable package modeled after the air cushion principle.
  (You may find particulars on the AIR-PACK on the page Product Construction).
• 1991 IDUNA/NOVA Environment Award from the Hamburg Trade Commission.
• 1990 Environment Award Berlin-Steglitz for a concept in energy conservation and waste prevention.