objectives achieved? – This is the recycling balance sheet in Austria

How much and what kind of waste is produced in Austria? How is the amount of waste developing? How is waste processed in Austria? How much and what kind of waste is exported and imported?

70 million tons of waste in Austria in 2020
The data shows: In 2020, about 70 million tons of waste were produced in Austria. Excluding excavated materials (material produced by excavating or removing soil or subsoil, e.g. soil), the amount was approximately 29 million tonnes, of which approximately 67 percent was recycled. The recycling rate for municipal waste was around 62 percent in 2020 and the rate for old electrical and electronic equipment was around 75 percent.

European plastics strategy
According to the European Commission, about 25.8 million tons of plastic waste is produced in Europe every year. Less than 30 percent of this waste is currently used for the recycling collected. Very large amounts of plastic waste enter the environment from various sources, causing significant economic and environmental damage.

Worldwide, the share of plastic in marine litter is estimated to be more than 80 percent. According to the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection and the Environment, 150,000 to 500,000 tons of plastic waste ends up in the sea in the EU every year.

Plastic offensive in 2030
By 2030, all plastic packaging placed on the EU market must be reusable or cost-effective recycled can become. Non-recyclable materials must be excluded from packaging. Against this background, it is also necessary to prepare and process recycled plastics through better collection and sorting of plastic waste.