Salzburg separating stragglers – salzburg.ORF.at
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167 kilograms of waste per capita and year end up in the residual waste in the state of Salzburg. According to a recent survey by the Association of Austrian Waste Management Companies, this is almost two and a half times as much as in Vorarlberg, the leading federal state in waste separation.
Vorarlbergers produce 72 kilograms of residual waste per person and year, of which 115 kilograms come from Upper Austria. In an Austrian comparison, Salzburg is third from last, followed by Vienna with 280 kilograms of residual waste. Experts see several reasons for this: A major problem is organic waste that is incorrectly disposed of in the residual waste bin. This is due to the poor separation morale in many households, says the head of the city of Salzburg’s waste service, Jürgen Wulff-Gegenbauer. On the other hand, tourism is also a factor. Especially where buffets are offered, too much food would end up in the trash. The expert is also critical of the wide range of fresh bread available until closing time in many supermarkets.
Great confusion about Yellow Sack
Another problem is the collection of packaging waste in the yellow bag, says Managing Director Josef Weilhartner from the Salzburg Waste Disposal (SAB) in Bergheim-Siggerwiesen (Flachgau). There are different collection models from region to region in the state of Salzburg. “What can or must be put in the yellow bin or bag? What can be taken to the farmyard and what can be disposed of with the residual waste? Standardization is necessary here,” says Weilhartner.
EU calls for standardization by 2025
This standardization must come by 2025. From then on, new EU rules will apply, which stipulate that all plastic packaging, cans, metal packaging and beverage cartons must be collected in the yellow bag or bin. The fact that Vienna scores the worst in Austria when it comes to waste separation is mainly due to the large number of large residential complexes. Finally, among waste disposal companies, the rule of thumb applies: the larger a housing estate or block of flats, the more waste ends up unseparated in the residual waste.