Because of the pandemic, there was less recycling in Austria
Austria is already doing quite well when it comes to recycling and waste reduction, but companies today have less concerned themselves with circular economy due to the pandemic.
In Austria, much more plastic waste has to be collected for recycling.
© istock
Vienna – Austria is already doing very well when it comes to recycling and waste reduction, but companies have not been so much concerned with circular economy as a result of the pandemic. The so-called “Circular Economy Barometer” from Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA) shows that use and investments in the circular economy have declined, especially among small companies. “The decisive factors are the ongoing pandemic and the lack of a legal framework for investments,” said ARA board member Harald Hauke.
There are clear differences between large and small companies: While nine out of ten (90 percent) larger companies plan to operate circularly or with a circular economy, the figure for small companies is only slightly more than half (54). As a result of the pandemic, the proportion of companies dying to invest in the circular economy has decreased from 69 to 56 percent. Companies see the survey based on bureaucracy and a lack of legal certainty as the greatest obstacles. “We need to win back the trust of companies, especially small ones. Predictability is the top priority to create more security, ”said Hauke.
It is better to look into the future. In the next three years, 42 percent of the companies surveyed plan to invest in the circular economy; 2020 were. (APA)
