Responsible Resource Management Handbook for the Austrian Waste Management Industry This Green Book is intended as a standard reference for sustainable resource management and services of general interest. It is a valuable source of information and a decision-making aid for politicians, industry professionals, government offi cials, partners and all waste management stakeholders. If we really want to leave a world worth living in to our children and give humanity a future perspective, it is essential that private- and public-sector entities cooperate in the provision of services of general interest. The overall responsibility of the community cannot be delegated to individuals. Sustainable resource management and the services of general interest concern us all. Management Resource Responsible Management Industry Waste the Austrian Handbook for RRM Responsible Resource Management Handbook for the Austrian Waste Management Industry Table of contents Table of contents Forewords Forewords • Ing. Josef Moser, Mayor, Chair of ARGE • Kommerzialrat Hans Roth, President of the Austrian Disposal Industry Chapter 1 Association (VÖEB) Chapter 2 • Helmut Mödlhammer, Mayor, President of the Association of Municipalities Chapter 3 • Dr. Michael Häupl, Mayor, President of the Association of Cities and Towns • DI Andrä Rupprechter, Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Chapter 4 Environment and Water Management Chapter 5 Chapter 1: Why waste management? Waste prevention and resource Chapter 6 optimisation as key tasks of responsible resource management Chapter 7 by Univ. Prof. Ing. Mag. Dr. Gerhard Vogel, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration Chapter 8 Chapter 2: 14,800 jobs create 1,235 euros of added value – Structure and Chapter 9 organisation of Austrian waste management Who is Who by Mag. Dr. Johann Mayr Chapter 3: Public waste management can be relied on – Representative surveys on waste management performance by Mag. Christian Beck and Johann Janisch Chapter 4: Safety and reliability - Waste management as a public task by Wilfried Mayr Chapter 5: The legal framework of Austrian waste management by Mag. Christine Hochholdinger Chapter 6: Austria’s role model status in waste management - A comparison with other European countries by Mag. Claudia Scholz and SC DI. Christian Holzer Chapter 7: SWOT analysis – Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks in public waste management by Mag. Dr. Johann Mayr et al. Chapter 8: More than a dream - Practical innovations and future projects by Dr. DI. Christian Schreyer Chapter 9: Public relations - Communication in public waste management by Mag. Wolfgang Lusak and Mag. Dr. Johann Mayr Who is Who of Austrian waste management The authors of the Green Book 3 Ing. Josef Moser Mayor, Chair of ARGE provinces. The “Who is Who of Waste Table of contents Management” will be continuously updated on the RRM website. Forewords Chapter 1 It is my hope that this RRM Green Book Chapter 2 will become a standard reference for Austrian waste management which Chapter 3 adds to the visibility of all waste Chapter 4 management players committed Chapter 5 to a “clean and green” Austria and Chapter 6 Imprint: Why a RRM Green Book for waste demonstrates why Austria is not a RRM Responsible management? country with “Naples-style” waste Chapter 7 Resource Management ARGE Österreichischer Abfallwirt- management conditions but an eco- Chapter 8 GREENBOOK RRM schaftsverbände has launched the friendly country with an effi cient waste Chapter 9 Responsible Resource Management management system. This book shall Publisher/copyright: Cautionary note on gender wording: (RRM) Initiative with the intention serve as a reference for industry Who is Who ARGE Österreichische All formulations related to persons to engage partners from municipal professionals as well as the general Abfallwirtschaftsverbände refer to both genders, even where the interest groups, administration, and interested public and help them male form may be used to make the science, the media, private-sector fi nd the right waste management text easier to read. waste management and the recycling/ contacts (including address, telephone Editor: recovery industry in a debate at eye and email) within their region. Wolfgang Lusak Translation/proofreading: level on how our recycling efforts can Sandra Schopf be improved and how Austria can Authors: support the European Union’s efforts Thomas Anderer Graphical design: to optimise recycling, establish a Christian Beck werbecompany.eu :: Anton Göllner closed-loop economy and increase the Alfred Egger Munich :: Saalfelden :: Vienna number of green jobs. Christine Hochholdinger Christian Holzer Druck: gugler* print, Melk This book presents public waste Johann Janisch management as the key task to be Johann Mayr fulfi lled within the framework of Wilfried Mayr the services of general interest and Josef Moser formulates its performance range and Horst Niederbichler its expectations for the future. It also Claudia Scholz features the fi rst directory of persons Christian Schreyer and organisations actively engaged Fritz Studer in waste management at federal Gerhard Vogel and regional level across all nine 4 5 KommRat Hans Roth President of the Austrian Disposal Helmut Mödlhammer Industry Association (VÖEB) Mayor, President of the Association of Municipalities What are the implications of public as their partners, have laid the sector waste management and price foundation for an outstanding waste pressure? Incineration instead of recy- management and recycling system cling, fewer and poorly qualifi ed jobs, in Austria for which many other less investment into new equipment countries envy us. and a gradual decline in environmental standards and quality of life. A key task of the public sector is the proper management of wastes, The Austrian Disposal Industry Asso- which is performed by local councils ciation (Verband der österreichischen and associations. This ensures that An effi cient resource management has Entsorgungsbetriebe) has developed Until the late 1980s, terms like also residents in small and remote one vital purpose: providing citizens a comprehensive programme which “recycling” and “waste recovery” villages can rely on the same quality with a high quality of life. Our past shall guide us into the future (also did not really exist in our everyday of services as residents in a large city. achievements and innovations have led read the guest commentary in Chapter language. Among the most common The principle of cost recovery assures to the high environmental standards 2). We really look forward to a lively and political and social buzzwords were socially compatible fees. that we have today and will further im- fruitful debate about a future that is “shortage of landfi ll space” and prove our country’s ecological footprint worth living in. So I urge and encoura- “disposal bottleneck”. Today, we are What needs to be noted is the (“closing the materials loop”). ge you to join our efforts in advancing still burdened with this legacy of poor high level of cooperation between quality and performance, for the bene- waste management practice and need individual communities, which is Such a development will only be bles- fi t of our citizens. Let’s not only look at hundreds of millions of euros to make hardly found in other areas outside sed with success when there is fair the coming years, let’s consider what’s up for past misdemeanours. waste management. This allows us to competition and when the private sec- best for our future generations! exploit synergies and potentials. tor is involved in the performance of The collection, recovery and recycling services of general interest. I believe of waste – no matter what type – that the state should retain the cont- has meanwhile become a powerful racting, law-making and supervisory economic factor, which has created role, whereas the private sector should an important momentum for the be in charge of execution. We need domestic labour market and, what tender procedures based on quality, is more, has assumed an important social and regional criteria which en- role in supplying our industry with courage competition among best bid- secondary raw materials. ders and not among cheapest bidders. “Going cheap” with no quality backup This success is owed to the local jeopardises our high standards and governments and waste management hampers further development and ge- associations. They have established a nuine innovation. comprehensive collection and waste counselling system and, with support from private disposal companies 6 7 DI. Andrä Rupprechter Dr. Michael Häupl Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment Mayor, President of the Association of Cities and Towns and Water Management the case in the area of drinking water boast a track record of success. Four supply and waste disposal. million tonnes of municipal waste from households and similar establishments Local governments cater to people’s are collected every year. More than 80 basic needs, provide economic stability percent of these wastes are recycled or and allow all people, regardless of recovered, and only ten per percent are their personal income and wealth, to landfi lled. Much of this success is owed engage in social life. More than ever, to waste management associations sustainability is becoming a buzzword and local governments. In addition to of our times. Our future public providing and maintaining the relevant Cities and towns are heading in new infrastructure needs to comply with