The master’s thesis by Lea Starina is prepared in the form of a case study. The objectives of the thesis were fulfilled. In the theoretical part, the student appropriately used professional literature, legislative documents, and current scientific studies. The literature review is thematically well structured and covers not only the regulatory frameworks of the European Union and Germany, but also environmental management, issues related to plastic waste, behavioral determinants of waste separation, and a comparison of plastic waste management methods based on LCA studies. I particularly appreciate the student’s ability to synthesize knowledge from different fields into a logically connected whole and relate it to the objectives of the thesis.
In my opinion, the processing of the results was carried out systematically and clearly. The interpretation and discussion of the results are at a very good level. The student did not limit the thesis merely to describing the identified situation, but also attempted to identify broader organizational and behavioral factors influencing the effectiveness of waste separation. The conclusions are formulated clearly and concisely and correspond to the stated objectives of the thesis.
During the preparation of the thesis, it was necessary in some respects to partially guide and correct the student methodologically and conceptually so that the final text would form a more compact, coherent, and comprehensible whole, especially with regard to the scope of the theoretical part and the formulation of certain interpretative passages.
Overall, I evaluate Lea Starina’s master’s thesis very positively. The student demonstrated the ability to work independently with professional literature, analyze the obtained data, and formulate relevant conclusions and practical recommendations. Therefore, despite the somewhat unconventional format of the thesis, the work fulfills the requirements placed on a university qualification thesis. I recommend the thesis for defense and propose the grade very good / B.

The thesis of the student Lea Starina deals with the issue of improving waste management procedures in an industrial environment in the conditions of the emerging environmental management system of the German multinational company GRAFE Polymer Solutions, which deals with the processing of plastics and the production of polymer mixtures.
The main objective of the thesis was to assess the current state of waste management in the company, identify the main organizational, technical and behavioral barriers to effective waste sorting and propose practically feasible measures supporting the development of an internal environmental management system in accordance with the principles of the ISO 14001 standard. The thesis also focuses on the broader context of the circular economy, environmental responsibility of companies and the importance of correct waste sorting as a basic prerequisite for material utilization and recycling of waste streams.
The theoretical part of the thesis is based on a relatively extensive research of professional literature and legislative documents of the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany. The student works particularly well with the Framework Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council 2008/98/EC on waste, the German Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz (KrWG) and related implementing regulations governing the management of municipal and industrial waste. At the same time, the requirements of the environmental management systems ISO 14001 and EMAS are discussed, the principles of which form an important framework for the assessment of environmental aspects and organizational processes in the company.
The practical part of the thesis is based on applied case research carried out directly in the operating conditions of the company GRAFE Polymer Solutions. The study combines the analysis of corporate waste data, field observations, characterization of waste streams and semi-structured interviews with employees. Based on the knowledge gained, an intervention was subsequently designed and pilot-implemented to improve the sorting of municipal waste types in the company's administrative and kitchen areas. The chosen approach made it possible to connect legislative, technical, organizational and behavioral aspects of environmental management into one practically oriented whole.
The work is appropriately logically structured, contains a clear methodology of work and subsequent analytical evaluation of data obtained partly by studying existing and obtained data from field research (questionnaires for employees). The interpretation of the results is carried out systematically and in appropriate contexts with the nature of the case study being solved. The student appropriately connects the results of field observation, waste flow analysis and semi-structured interviews with employees, thereby creating a relatively comprehensive view of the functioning of the internal waste management system in the conditions of the analyzed company.
I evaluate very positively the fact that the work does not remain only at the level of analytical evaluation, but also contains a specific proposal for practical measures implemented directly in the company. Part of the intervention was the design and placement of separation containers, the creation of a uniform logic for waste sorting in individual departments and ensuring internal communication towards employees. The student appropriately respected the specific operational and spatial conditions of individual workplaces, when a uniform universal solution was not applied, but the system was adapted to the local conditions of specific departments.
I also consider the connection of the proposed measures with the principles of environmental management according to ISO 14001 to be very beneficial. The work correctly reflects the requirements of the standard for identifying environmental aspects, setting environmental objectives, internal communication, documenting processes and the principle of continuous improvement of the environmental performance of the organization. The introduction of a waste separation system in administrative and kitchen areas is therefore not just an isolated technical measure, but is part of the systematic management of environmental aspects in the company. Topics for thesis defence:

1. 1. The work discusses the implementation of the principles of the environmental management system according to ISO 14001. What specific environmental objectives and measurable indicators would you recommend that GRAFE implement for the long-term evaluation of the effectiveness of the newly set waste separation system?
2. 2. The work was implemented mainly in the administrative and kitchen areas of the company. What main technical and organizational obstacles do you expect in the possible expansion of the waste separation system to the company's production facilities?
3. 3. In your work, you also address the behavioral aspects of waste separation in the workplace. In your opinion, which factors most influence the long-term stability of employees' correct waste sorting habits and what tools can be used to support these habits in the long term?