Almost 1.5 million tons Austria’s households produce residual waste every year, around 165 kilograms per person, according to the current status report from waste management. The Association of Austrian Waste Management Companies (VOEB) criticizes that this is not only too much, but above all expensive and inefficient, and calls for more waste avoidance and consistent waste separation.
Vorarlberg weighs 72 kilograms residual waste per person and year Austria’s model federal state, with 115 kilograms Upper Austria lags behind a little. Tail light is Vienna with 280 kilos.
Regional differences
In order to save money and resources, it is important to avoid waste as much as possible and to dispose of recyclable materials such as glass, metal or paper separately so that they can be recycled. The disposal of residual waste is comparatively expensive, according to VOEB President Gabriele Jüly. “A maximum of 80 kilograms of residual waste per person per year would be ideal throughout Austria,” said Jüly. A value that only the people of Vorarlberg are currently able to achieve: in Upper Austria, 115 kilos fall every year residual waste per person, in Burgenland it is 124. The Styrians and Tyroleans produce 131 and 132 kilos respectively, the Lower Austrians 142 kilos. At the bottom of the ranking are Salzburg (167), Carinthia (172) and Vienna (280).
Jüly identified the causes of the differences in the federal states as state legal regulations, existing collection systems, the number of second homes, the intensity of tourism and the proportion of commercial waste that is also disposed of. “Vorarlberg shows how it can be done,” said Jüly. Small amounts of residual waste and correct separation save municipalities waste treatment costs, disposal companies can recycle efficiently, and the economy saves resources and energy through the use of secondary raw materials.
Waste separation saves costs and energy
According to a survey by Montanuni Leoben, around 250,000 tons of plastic, 200,000 tons of paper, 70,000 tons of glass and 67,000 tons of metal end up in the residual waste of households, as well as enormous amounts of organic waste. “It’s a scandal. In times when resources are scarce, everyone has to ensure that glass, plastic, metal, waste paper and organic waste are collected separately,” Jüly demanded. This is the only way these valuable materials can be recycled. This saves energy and raw materials and makes an active contribution to climate protection.
What belongs in the residual waste – and what doesn’t?
Residual waste basically includes non-recyclable and non-hazardous waste. Do not belong in the residual waste and should therefore be collected separately:
- organic waste
- waste paper
- waste glass
- metal
- plastic
- Bulky waste (household waste that is too big for the waste bin)
- Electrical devices, batteries and accumulators
- rubble and construction waste
- Problematic substances (including used oil, acids, spray cans with residues)
What happens to the residual waste?
In Austria will residual waste either recycled in waste incineration plants or treated in mechanical-biological treatment plants. In 2019, 1,276,000 tons residual waste thermally and 164,000 tons biologically treated directly or after processing in the first treatment step. 21,000 tons of recyclable materials from municipal waste were recycled.
More links on proper waste separation:
- Locations, opening hours and local disposal information can be found on the Website of the Upper Austrian waste collection centers.
- in the Waste separation ABC of the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology you can find detailed information for the respective waste categories, as well as concrete examples.
- A clear one Separation Instructions provided by the Upper Austrian environmental professionals.
- The nearest collection points for electronic waste, mobile phones and batteries can be found on www.elektro-ade.at be retrieved.
Source: Nachrichten
