Sorting Waste In Austria: A Comprehensive Guide To Recycling

Austria is known for its commitment to recycling, with one of the highest recycling rates globally. The country's Waste Management Act prioritises waste prevention and sustainability, protecting people and the environment, and conserving natural resources. Austrians take recycling seriously, with 96% separating general waste from packaging and 99% separating paper from other waste. The country's largest recycling company, Altstoff Recycling Austria (ARA), provides a pickup service for 1.6 million households and public drop-off points for various types of recycling. With slight variations across regions, Austria's recycling system typically includes separate bins for paper, plastic, organic waste, metal, and glass, with hazardous waste and bulky items requiring special disposal.

How to recycle paper

Recycling is a big part of Austrian culture, with the country boasting one of the highest recycling rates in the world. The Austrian Waste Management Act sets out the main principles of Austrian waste management, including sustainability, the protection of humans and the environment, and the conservation of natural resources.

What to Recycle

Items that can be placed in paper recycling bins include:

• Notebooks and exercise books (without the plastic cover)
• Catalogs (without the plastic envelope)
• Cardboard fruit trays
• Paper towels (clean)
• Paper carrier bags and packaging
• Corrugated cardboard
• Newspapers, magazines, brochures, books, writing paper, letters, copybooks, and telephone directories
• Clean frozen food boxes, paper bags, and cardboard boxes (folded or filled with paper)

What Not to Recycle

Do not place the following items in paper recycling bins:

• Composite materials, such as milk and beverage cartons, carbon paper, dirty papers, or receipts
• Handkerchiefs, kitchen towels, or greasy paper
• Coated cardboard packaging, such as milk cartons

Where to Recycle

Paper recycling bins in Austria are typically red and are located either directly at households or in designated public areas. These are known as Altpapier Karton. On average, there is one paper wheelie bin for every six Austrian residents.

Recycling Process

The paper packaging collected in the red bins is recycled into new raw materials, which can be used for almost all types of paper products. Paper fibres can be recycled around six times, although the quality of the paper deteriorates with each recycling process. Some types of packaging in Austria are made almost entirely of recycled paper.

How to recycle plastic

In Austria, plastic waste is collected by municipal waste collection services and incinerated with energy recovery. While this prevents plastic particles from polluting the environment, incineration produces twice as much greenhouse gas emission as recycling. It also destroys the precious synthetic hydrocarbons that plastics are made from.

To recycle plastic in Austria, you can put it in the yellow bins or yellow bags. Before doing so, you should squeeze and flatten plastic bottles to save space in the collection trucks.

The recycling of plastic in Austria is managed by Altstoff Recycling Austria (ARA), which organises about 80% of the country's waste collection and sorting. However, the recycling rate for plastic waste in Austria is low. In 2018, only 25.3% of plastic waste was recycled, falling far below the EU target rate of 50% by 2025.

If you want to recycle plastic in a laboratory setting, you can contact local non-profit Stöpselsammeln.at, which picks up plastic waste that is pre-sorted by type and sells it to the recycling plant PreZero Polymers in Kärnten, Austria.

How to recycle glass

Austria has one of the highest recycling rates in the world, and recycling is a big part of Austrian culture. The Austrian Waste Management Act sets out the country's key waste management principles, including sustainability, the protection of people and the environment, and the conservation of natural resources.

Glass is collected separately from other materials, at over 2,500 public locations and dump sites in cities. It's important to note that glass should only be disposed of between 6 am and 10 pm, as it can be a noisy process. Clear and coloured glass is collected separately, and this separation is very important. A single green bottle is enough to contaminate 500kg of clear glass.

For households, clear and coloured glass is usually collected in one container with two compartments. The recycling truck then separates the two sides into the truck. In street bins, the white bin is for clear glass, and the green bin is for coloured glass.

Do:

• Recycle clear glass bottles and jars, and coloured glass bottles, flasks, storage jars, cosmetic packaging, and medicine bottles.
• Use the designated bins for glass recycling.

Don't:

• Mix clear and coloured glass.
• Put glass containers with toxic contents into the glass recycling.
• Include bottle caps, corks, lead seals, screw tops, plastic bottles, mirrors, window glass, flat or wired glass, light bulbs, china, crystal glass, or drinking glasses.

How to recycle metal

Metal recycling is a key part of Austria's commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. The country has a well-established system for collecting and recycling metal waste, with designated blue bins located at central collection points across Austria.

Understanding Metal Recycling in Austria

Metal recycling is a priority for Austrians, and it plays a crucial role in the country's waste management strategy. Most metals can be recycled or processed, and Austria has a separate system for metal packaging. The country's leading recycling company, Altstoff Recycling Austria (ARA), also collects and recycles metal packaging as part of its services.

Identify Metal Items Suitable for Recycling

Before sorting and disposing of metal items, it's important to know which metals can be recycled. In Austria, the blue metal recycling bins are typically used for aluminium foil and caps. Additionally, any metal packaging, such as cans and drink containers, can be recycled.

Separate Metal Waste from Other Recyclables

It is important to separate metal waste from other recyclables, such as glass and plastic. Metal packaging should not be disposed of with glass or plastic packaging. However, in some regions, like Klagenfurt, metal and plastic packaging are collected together in yellow bins for later sorting.

Prepare Metal Items for Recycling

To ensure the effectiveness of the recycling process, it is advisable to prepare metal items before placing them in the blue bins. For example, aluminium foil should be clean and free of food residue. It is also recommended to flatten plastic bottles to save space in collection trucks.

Locate Metal Recycling Bins

Blue metal recycling bins can be found at central collection points throughout Austria. These bins are typically located within close walking distance of residences, similar to glass and metal waste containers. Additionally, the Müllapp (TrashApp) can assist in locating nearby containers and provide updates on waste management.

Understand the Recycling Process

Metal recycling in Austria involves collecting, sorting, and processing metal waste. The recycled metal is then used to create new products or mixed with other materials to make steel, conserving natural resources and reducing the need for landfill sites.

Special Considerations for Hazardous Metal Waste

It is important to note that certain metal items, such as oil or varnish cans, gas cartridges, household appliances, and bicycle parts, should not be placed in the blue metal recycling bins. Hazardous metal waste requires special handling and should be disposed of at designated collection points or community waste collection centres.

How to recycle food and garden waste

Food and garden waste are considered organic waste in Austria. The Austrian Waste Management Act lays down the most important principles of Austrian waste management, including sustainability, the protection of people and the environment, and the conservation of natural resources.

Waste prevention is the top priority, and this includes using reusable packaging instead of disposable packaging, repairing or renting items instead of buying new ones, and passing on goods that are no longer needed. Most glass, plastics, metals, waste paper, and organic waste can be recycled or processed.

In Vienna, there is a well-organised, colour-coded recycling bin system that applies to both street bins and households. The Biomüll, usually a brown-coloured bin, is where you should throw away your lawn, tree, and hedge cuttings. You can also dispose of weeds, shrubs, windfall, leaves, water plants, unseasoned and uncooked fruit and vegetable scraps, stale bread, coffee grounds, and tea leaves.

It is important to note that organic waste disposal is not meant for plastic, eco-plastic bags, or eco-plastic products. You should also not throw away meat, bones, food leftovers, large branches, eggs, dairy products, content from vacuum cleaner bags, cat litter, varnished or laminated wood, hazardous waste, composite materials such as nappies or milk cartons, or soil.

Additionally, the Austrian government has introduced initiatives to address food waste, such as the "Food is precious!" initiative, which aims to prevent food waste in households and companies. This initiative includes an agreement with the food trade to pass on edible but no longer saleable food to social institutions and for feeding. The Federal Ministry has also published "Bread is precious! Without rubbish!", a guide to reducing bread and baked goods waste.

Frequently asked questions