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Project Summary Project Description Application of Tools Opinion of Tools Decision making process Contact Details

Project summary

Name of the case study
Waste Management Concept - Plastics, in Graz

Where is it located?
Austria

What type of activity is it?
Managing concept for waste management

Short description of the case study
The basis for all initiatives intended to improve the waste management concept for the city of Graz is the waste management plan of the province of Styria. This regulation controls avoidance, recycling, handling and disposal of waste in the provincial capital Graz. This regulation also states that waste has to be collected separately: paper, glass, metal, plastics, textiles and wood.

For the collection of plastics (only plastic packaging) there exist 6 different types of collecting which differ mainly in sector (household, small trade, trade, recycling companies,…) and volume. Waste from households and small businesses is collected together every 4 weeks (up to a volume of 1,100 litres) and is subject of this case study.

For the collection, handling, recycling and disposal of plastic packaging every consumer has to pay a certain amount of money which is already included in the price of all plastic-products. Private companies are responsible for dealing with plastic packaging and have contracts with the municipality.

In Graz the collection of Plastic packaging for recycling had been installed before it was obliged by law. This had financial background because it is much more expensive if plastic packaging is included in residual waste and ends up in dumpsites than to collect and handle it separately.

Plastic packaging is subdivided into 8 fractions (foils, hollow bodies, etc.), most of the material from the 8 fractions is recycled and the rest is burnt as a substitute for other combustibles such as coal. From 1st of January 2004, 95% of all plastic packaging has to be collected for recycling.

What tools were used to assess sustainability?

Waste management plan - pilot project "Yellow bag"

More information

Click here for a full description (pdf)