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In the Rhenish lignite mining area, many different kinds of waste are generated in the operations of RWE Power AG, all of which need to be properly disposed of. The same applies to certain external waste recycled in the company's mines and installations in the Rhenish lignite mining area. A basic distinction is made between mining waste and other waste, which must be handled according to the Product Recycling and Waste Management Act (KrWG). In the operations subject to regulation by the mining supervisory authority, all mining waste is recycled in accordance with approved operating plans and official permits. It is put to various uses in the opencast mines, especially in the construction of technical structures such as noise protection embarkments and abutments, in recultivation and noise and pollution control, and in measures to compensate for mass depletion and reduce the final voids left behind after coal extraction. Some wastes are thermally recycled in the power plants in compliance with the Air Pollution Control and Noise Abatement Act (BlmSchG). The bulk of the waste requiring disposal is accounted for by power plant residues, which are dumped on power plant residue landfills officially licensed under waste management regulations in depleted areas of the opencast mines. The four power plant residue landfill sites, which are designated as landfill class I according to the Landfill Ordinance (DepVO), help to compensate for mass depletion and to reduce the final voids due to coal extraction. Around three quarters of the gypsum recovered from flue gas desulphurisation in the lignite-fired power plants is recycled in the construction materials industry. Industrial waste is externally recycled or disposed of by a specialist waste disposal company under the terms of a full-service contract. The real waste figures are reported pursuant to various annual waste reporting obligations. Pursuant to the applicable laws and regulations and official permits, the occurring waste flows and their disposal are subject to extensive inspection and monitoring both by RWE Power and the authorities in charge. Proper waste management and disposal is thus ensured at all times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]