Method for operating an industrial plant having an adsorption device which emits a gas stream (G 1) laden with a sorbable substance with a predefined mass flow rate, wherein phases of reduced loading (φ 1) and phases of elevated loading (φ 2), which follow one another in a temporally alternating manner, are involved for the laden gas stream (G 1), comprising the steps of: feeding of the laden gas stream (G 1) to an inlet of a sorption buffer device; conducting of the laden gas stream (G 1) in the sorption buffer device through a sorbent, which is suitable with a for receiving a loading (ψ) of the sorbable substance, along a sorption path, which leads from the inlet to an outlet of the sorption buffer device, wherein the sorbable substance passes from the gas stream to the sorbent, or from the sorbent to the gas stream, in dependence on the loading of the gas stream (φ) and the loading of the sorbent (ψ); tapping off of a treated gas stream (G 4) at the outlet of the sorption buffer device, wherein, during a phase of elevated loading (φ 2) of the gas stream (G 1) with the sorbable substance, region (B 1) a region with an elevated loading (ψ) of the sorbent with the sorbable substance, which region extends in a from the inlet of the sorption buffer device along the sorption path, is formed, and, during a subsequent phase of reduced loading (φ 1) of the gas stream (G 1), the region with the elevated loading (ψ) of the sorbent is shifted along the sorption path in the direction toward the outlet of the sorbent buffer device; and wherein a length of the sorption path and a quantity of the sorbent in the sorption buffer device are selected in such a way that the sorption buffer device is set up for accommodating at least three, preferably at least four, more preferably at least five, different regions (B 1 - B 5) of elevated loading (ψ) of the sorbent along the sorption path during the operation of the industrial plant. feeding of the laden gas stream (G 1) to an inlet of a sorption buffer device; conducting of the laden gas stream (G 1) in the sorption buffer device through a sorbent, which is suitable with a for receiving a loading (ψ) of the sorbable substance, along a sorption path, which leads from the inlet to an outlet of the sorption buffer device, wherein the sorbable substance passes from the gas stream to the sorbent, or from the sorbent to the gas stream, in dependence on the loading of the gas stream (φ) and the loading of the sorbent (ψ); tapping off of a treated gas stream (G 4) at the outlet of the sorption buffer device, wherein, during a phase of elevated loading (φ 2) of the gas stream (G 1) with the sorbable substance, region (B 1) a region with an elevated loading (ψ) of the sorbent with the sorbable substance, which region extends in a from the inlet of the sorption buffer device along the sorption path, is formed, and, during a subsequent phase of reduced loading (φ 1) of the gas stream (G 1), the region with the elevated loading (ψ) of the sorbent is shifted along the sorption path in the direction toward the outlet of the sorbent buffer device; and wherein a length of the sorption path and a quantity of the sorbent in the sorption buffer device are selected in such a way that the sorption buffer device is set up for accommodating at least three, preferably at least four, more preferably at least five, different regions (B 1 - B 5) of elevated loading (ψ) of the sorbent along the sorption path during the operation of the industrial plant.