Vorarlberg records Austria’s lowest per-capita household waste

Households in Vorarlberg generate an average of 403 kilograms of municipal waste per person, the lowest figure among Austria’s federal states, ORF reported. The state also ranks second to last for separately collected recyclable materials, with 62,655 tonnes collected.

Austria’s households separately collect about 1.5 million tonnes of materials such as paper, glass and metal. These materials are collected for recycling so they can be turned into new raw materials.

Overall, Austrian households produce more than 4.6 million tonnes of municipal waste, including around 165,000 tonnes in Vorarlberg. This includes about 1.5 million tonnes of residual waste and nearly 1.2 million tonnes of biological and garden waste, as well as hazardous materials and bulky waste.

Per person, waste generation reaches 442 kilograms in Vienna and Carinthia. The highest figures are recorded in Burgenland, at 590 kilograms, and Tyrol, at 561 kilograms.

Separately collected recyclable materials account for about one-third of municipal waste from households and similar facilities. Tyrol leads the country with 218 kilograms per person, followed by Upper Austria with 195 kilograms and Salzburg with 179 kilograms. Vorarlberg records 152 kilograms per person, while Vienna ranks last with 103 kilograms.

Gabriele Jüly, president of the Association of Austrian Waste Management Companies, said collection volumes per person tend to be higher in rural regions and lower in cities. She attributed the difference to collection infrastructure and public awareness.

Waste paper makes up the largest share of separately collected materials, at 37 percent, followed by waste wood at 20 percent and glass packaging at 17 percent.