How to sort residual waste and waste paper correctly in Austria

Residual waste is the final destination for things that cannot reasonably be separated or recovered. It should contain only unusable household waste:

• Hygiene products: nappies, tissues, cotton buds and period products.
• Soiled waste: vacuum-cleaner bags, cold ash, cigarette ends, cat litter and animal faeces.
• Broken and worn-out items: broken porcelain and drinking glasses, old shoes, broken toys and stationery.
• Composite material that is not packaging: coated photographs and soiled cardboard that no longer counts as packaging.

Important: anything with its own collection must stay out of residual waste. This includes packaging (Gelber Sack), food and garden waste (Biotonne), paper (Altpapier), glass packaging (glass containers), electrical equipment and hazardous household waste (Mistplatz or Problemstoffsammlung).

Austria collects waste paper in paper bins, shared containers or, in some regions, tied bundles; Vienna uses the red bin. Clean, dry paper is accepted:

• Newspapers, magazines, catalogues, leaflets and books without hard covers.
• Letters, envelopes (the windows may stay in), writing paper and files with metal fittings removed.
• Cardboard and boxes, folded flat to save space.

Do not put soiled or greasy cardboard such as pizza boxes in waste paper (use residual waste), nor coated or waxed paper, photographic paper, thermal till receipts, wallpaper, hygiene paper or drink cartons. Drink cartons are composite packaging and belong in the Gelber Sack.

In Austria, municipalities fund waste management through waste charges. Depending on the municipality, the charge may be a basic fee, depend on bin capacity or collection frequency, or combine those elements. The principle is consistent: residual waste costs money, while separated collections are cheaper or free. In many municipalities the food-and-garden-waste bin and recycling collections clearly cost less than the residual-waste bin.

Households that sort consistently can often use a smaller residual-waste bin or have it emptied less frequently, producing noticeable savings each year. The reverse can cost more: if a recycling bin contains too many incorrect items, the collector may leave it behind or the municipality may charge for a special collection.

A few familiar items repeatedly end up in the wrong place in Austrian homes, usually through uncertainty rather than intent:

• Till receipts: these are thermal paper and belong in residual waste, not waste paper.
• Drinking glasses and porcelain: these are not packaging glass. Glass containers accept only packaging glass, whose melting properties are different. Put the broken pieces in residual waste.
• Pizza boxes: greasy parts belong in residual waste; clean, unsoiled parts may go in waste paper.
• Drink cartons: these are composite packaging and belong in the Gelber Sack, not waste paper.
• Kitchen roll and tissues: although made of paper, they are residual waste after use.

If you are unsure, check your municipality’s Abfall-ABC rather than contaminating an entire collection. Many municipalities and waste-management associations now provide useful search tools on their websites.

Items that are too large or too hazardous for a bin have their own routes in Austria. Take bulky waste such as furniture, mattresses and carpets to a Mistplatz (in Vienna, an MA 48 Mistplatz), or book a bulky-waste collection where the municipality offers one. Hazardous household waste such as paint, varnish, chemicals, batteries and energy-saving lamps belongs at a Problemstoffmobil or hazardous-waste collection point, never in the residual-waste bin, where it can damage incineration facilities.

Mistplatz sites accept electrical equipment free of charge, and large retailers must also take back old equipment. Furniture in good condition may not need disposal at all: social enterprises and second-hand shops often accept it, and some will collect it.

Each municipality sets its precise rules, including bin sizes, collection frequency, bulky-waste dates and bag distribution points, in its waste regulations. The authoritative information is in your municipality’s waste calendar, on the municipal office website or on the website of the responsible waste-management association.

To help you avoid missing a collection day, whether for residual waste, waste paper, the Gelber Sack or the Biotonne, BinMinder can send a free reminder the evening before collection.