Recycling In Austria: A Guide To Going Green

Recycling and waste separation are important in Austria, with the Austrian Waste Management Act prioritising sustainability, the protection of people and the environment, and the conservation of natural resources. The country has set ambitious recycling targets to meet the requirements of the EU's Circular Economy Package and to prepare for the implementation of the EU Plastics Strategy. Austria has a well-developed system for collecting and recycling packaging, with Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA) collecting over 1 million tonnes of packaging and waste paper in 2023. The country also has a free mobile app called MüllappMüllapp (TrashApp) that helps residents with garbage collection.

Recycling plastic

Austria has more than 35 installations for sorting waste plastics and over 34 plastic recycling installations. The country is investing in innovative research and studies on plastics to meet the EU's Circular Economy Package and to prepare for the implementation of the EU Plastics Strategy.

The study "Kunststoffabfälle in Österreich – Aufkommen und Behandlung" was commissioned by the BMNT in 2017 and is being prepared in cooperation with the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). It aims to provide comprehensive information on the generation and treatment of plastic waste in Austria. The results of the study show that about 0.92 million tonnes of plastic waste accrue in Austria every year, with 77% of this being mixed waste with different plastic portions. 80% of plastic waste is post-consumer waste, and 28% is recovered.

In Austria, general waste is picked up by municipal waste collection services and is then incinerated with energy recovery. Burning plastic waste prevents plastic particles from polluting the environment, but it also generates roughly twice the amount of greenhouse gas emissions as recycling. Incineration also destroys the material that plastics are made of, which is predominantly produced from non-renewable resources.

There are also plastic recycling plants in Austria, such as PreZero Polymers in Kärnten, which recycles about 80,000 tons of sorted post-consumer plastic waste per year.

To recycle plastic in Austria, separate your plastic waste by type (HDPE, PP). You can then take it to a plastic recycling plant or a waste collection point.

Recycling glass

Glass is almost perfectly recycled in Austria, with more than two-thirds of glass packaging produced being made from waste glass. Glass bottles and jars are reused, and flat glass cullet is collected separately and used to produce glass microspheres that make road markings visible at night.

In Austria, glass bottles can be returned to collection points, usually in grocery stores. SWARCO, a company responsible for collecting waste glass in the Austrian province of Tyrol, offers to collect glass directly from homes, companies, or communities. They rent or sell waste glass containers of different sizes and organize regular pickups.

In Vienna, the city's MA48, responsible for garbage and waste, has mobile problematic waste collection points that go to different residential locations and wait for people to come to them with their waste. These collections occur on different days and at different times and locations. During the week, they are there for two hours, and on Saturdays for five hours.

It is important to note that returnable bottles do not belong in the glass container. Instead, they should be returned to the store or a collection point.

Recycling metal

Metal packaging and scrap metal are collected and recycled in Austria. Metal packaging includes items like aluminium foil and drinks cans. Small items of scrap metal, such as wire, saucepans, nails, and screws, can be placed in the metal packaging bin. However, larger metal objects, such as stoves, cookers, and bathtubs, must be taken to a recycling centre, waste collection centre, or waste disposal site.

There are several metal recycling plants in Austria that process metal waste into new materials. Schaufler GmbH, for example, is a leading player in metal recycling and offers services such as collecting, sorting, processing, and charging steel and metal scrap. They recycle ferrous and cast-iron scrap, non-ferrous metals like copper, aluminium, zinc, lead, and tin, as well as alloys, steel, and high-grade steel.

It is important to note that metal items should be properly sorted and prepared before being placed in the recycling bin or taken to a recycling centre. This may include cleaning the metal items to remove any residue or contaminants and separating different types of metals, such as aluminium, steel, and iron.

Additionally, some metal items may not be accepted by regular recycling services and may require special handling or disposal. These items include certain types of electronic waste, batteries, and hazardous materials. It is important to check with local authorities or waste management companies to understand the specific rules and guidelines for recycling metal items in your area.

Overall, recycling metal in Austria is an important contribution to environmental protection and sustainable practices. By properly sorting and disposing of metal waste, individuals and businesses can help reduce landfill waste, conserve natural resources, and promote the reuse and recycling of valuable materials.

Electrical appliances

If electrical appliances are beyond repair, they must be properly disposed of. In Austria, there are over 2,000 collection centres, also known as "Mistplätze" or "Recyclinghöfe", where consumers can drop off their old electrical appliances for free. These include small electrical appliances, such as mobile phones, electric toothbrushes, vacuum cleaners, and radios, and large electrical appliances, such as washing machines, dryers, and refrigerators. It is important to separate electrical appliances from other rubbish and protect them from breaking before dropping them off at these collection centres.

At the collection centres, old devices are sorted and separated according to the categories defined by law: small appliances and devices, large appliances, display devices, refrigerators and freezers, and gas-driven appliances. Devices that are still functional may be prepared for reuse, while broken equipment is transported to registered collection systems and then to appropriate recycling companies for further processing.

In addition to collection centres, some retailers in Austria may also accept old electrical appliances for disposal. It is important to check with local retailers to understand their specific policies and procedures for recycling electrical appliances.

The European Union's 2003 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive provides a legal framework for the collection and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment in Austria. This directive aims to establish a unified approach to the constantly increasing number of electrical and electronic devices and ensure proper recycling and reuse of resources.

Hazardous waste

In addition to hazardous waste, there are also specific disposal procedures for other types of waste, such as electrical appliances, which can be dropped off at waste/bulk and household collection points. Energy-saving light bulbs can be collected at stores and large waste collection points. Wood, kitchen appliances, bulk waste, and other non-general household waste can be taken to large waste collection points, where separate containers are provided for different types of waste.

Austria takes waste management very seriously, and there are severe penalties for unlawfully dumping waste or discharging hazardous substances into the water, including fines of up to €36,340 or two years in prison.

Frequently asked questions