Ten percent more garbage after holidays
environment
Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, around ten percent more waste accumulates in Salzburg than on average on other days of the year. Above all, packaging materials made of cardboard and plastic ensure the plus – but also a lot of glass and leftover food end up in the bins.
Just as the festivals are celebrated in abundance – so does the residual waste in the days that follow. 3,000 tons arrive in Siggerwiesen in the days after Christmas, says Managing Director Josef Weilhartner. In the residual waste there is packaging material for gifts as well as food “because people often buy more generously for the holidays and then some things are left over.” A big problem – like every year – are small electronic devices or batteries, which have to be disposed of in a special way, adds Weilhartner.
Municipal garbage collection more often on the way
In order to get rid of the accumulated waste, the municipal waste disposal service is on duty with more vehicles around the holidays. It, too, now registers between ten and 15 percent more waste.
At the Altpapier Papyrus company, December and January are always busy months – the many boxes from the pre-Christmas period now have to be sorted and pressed. What has no place here, however, is wrapping paper – it consists mostly of plastic and belongs in the residual waste.