Reuse and Recycling

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Austria is an international pioneer

With over 30 years of experience and the associated development of technological expertise, the Austrian recycling and material flow management is a leading international pioneer. Apart from companies in the field of energy technology, waste disposal companies are also the most innovative in Austria. This is illustrated by a comparison with Germany, the EU or the USA, which shows that in the waste sector significantly more environmental patents were granted than in other environmental technology sectors.

In the sense of a sustainable and resource-conserving economy, the objective is to close material cycles and increase resource efficiency. Austrian companies are developing holistic solutions for the collection, treatment and recycling of waste. In addition, efficient logistics systems for the best possible waste management as well as activities interwoven with other technologies (e.g. fuel production from waste) are part of the performance portfolio.

Austria is

  • world market leader in plastic recycling plants
  • world market leader in glass recycling plants
  • global player in biomass crushing, separation and sorting
  • world market leader in mobile processing plants for building waste and debris

Every year, some 55 million tonnes of waste are generated in Austria. The recovery and disposal of waste takes place in some 2,200 plants, with a considerable share being handled internally.

The majority of the facilities are made

up of composting plants and processing plants for building waste. There are also systems for the sorting and treatment of separately collected waste materials and plants for anaerobic biotechnological waste treatment.

In Austria, the prevention of waste is the primary focus, followed by different and comprehensive possibilities for recycling. Those substances which can not be reused are used for energy production by thermal utilization. Only the remaining waste is deposited.

Sources and additional information:

BMLFUW https://www.bmlfuw.gv.at/greentec/abfall-ressourcen.html

Bundesabfallwirtschaftsplan 2011 sowie Die Bestandsaufnahme der Abfallwirtschaft in Österreich 2015, Statusbericht des BMLFUW

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