Vienna:
Waste minimization and recycling strategies
Vienna:
| |
| Country: | a) Western Europe | ,b) Austria |
| Language: | |
| Type: | Project, Policy, 1 |
| Area: | City/Town, > 1 million |
| Actors: | Local government, Regional government, Economic sector |
| Funding: | Local government, Regional government |
| Topics: | Energy |
| Solid waste | |
| Objectives: | Increase district heating |
| Waste avoidance | |
| Waste recycling | |
| Instruments: | Demonstration and pilot project |
Vienna waste management policy has taken important steps towards the installation of separated collection systems since the beginning of the 1990s. Although the effects of separate collection had been underestimated for a long time, new strategies in the field of waste minimization and recycling have been implemented with considerable success. For example in 1994 (and for the first time) the quantity of household mixed waste did not increase in the City of Vienna. The following years, however, again showed an increase in municipal solid waste. In 1998 the increase in mixed household waste was once again nearly stopped but the quantity of recyclable waste continued to rise. The combination of recycling, incineration, and dumping practices is still aiming at the best possible ecological standards. The new policy is a remarkable achievement for the following reasons:
For far too long the management of the economy has been marked by a narrow focus on the production of goods, their supply and consumption, while waste management has been dealt with secondarily and in isolation. Waste management has previously not been regarded as an operational tool that is able to influence the flow of materials and substances. Now, in order to achieve a sustainable waste policy, the principles of waste management have to be re-examined and upgraded. The aim should be to establish ecological products and services for each waste fraction. In 1998 Vienna’s waste volume in terms of mixed household waste did not keep growing as it had during previous years. This was the result of a waste management policy that started to tackle the different types of waste with new approaches. A basic principle of ecological waste management is the requirement that any waste that can neither be avoided nor recycled must be pre-treated in such a way that it is not a future environmental burden nor does it cause major costs in terms of monitoring and supervision of permanent disposal sites.
In 1999 the Vienna waste concept included the following strategies for waste minimization:
The minimization strategies work with the following principles:
Vienna waste management initiatives have generally concentrated on waste-prevention (KLIP-Program) and on other special fields such as maintenance, reuse and education, as well as on recovering organic and building waste. Vienna has been able to show substantial improvements in these areas.
Waste Prevention
Waste prevention programs emphasize PR campaigns supported by various publications that for example explain how and where appliances can be repaired or where products and services can be rented. Further information illustrates how things can be reused and how wastes can better be handled. A next step is to develop information concerning specific waste prevention techniques for application in private households.
In 1995 the City launched the Viennese Climate Protection Program (KLIP) to develop guidelines for a climate protection action plan. This process involved more than 300 people from over 150 departments in Vienna’s administration as well as municipal services and external organizations.
Prioritizing feasibility, KLIP has developed 35 different measures regarding energy, traffic, and procurement and waste management efforts. Altogether these are expected to result in a reduction of 25% in carbon dioxide emissions per capita per year. While the ambitious Climate Alliance goal of a 50% reduction is desirable, it can not practically be achieved by the year 2010: Vienna has already reduced its annual emissions to about 5.4 tons of carbon dioxide per capita (compared to Frankfurt with its 13.8 !), and therefor does not have the same large opportunities for further reductions as other large European cities.
To move away from “end of the pipe” technologies and toward precautionary and preventive strategies, Vienna launched the project for environmentally sound public procurement (ÖKOKAUF WIEN). Introduced in 1998 with the help of about 200 experts, this project has developed criteria for procurement in areas such as construction, house-keeping and cleaning, electrical appliances, paper and printing services, food services, and water and lighting systems.
Also important is the Vienna EcoBusiness Plan that deals with the implementation of environmental initiatives through working with professional consultants to assist environmental initiatives in private companies and institutions. This Plan involves four special prevention and waste management programs: EMAS, Ecoprofit, Companies in the Climate Alliance, and Eco-Label Tourism.
Organic waste management
Organic waste management had already been established in Vienna by 1956, when the first organic waste composting plant went into operation. However, in 1981 this policy had to be abandoned as the compost -- which was produced from residual waste -- had become too polluted. Nevertheless, the idea was again pursued when separate collection systems were introduced.
After organic waste bin prototypes proved to be promising, the City of Vienna started research into a suitable method of composting. Between 1988 and 1990 developments concentrated on de-composting processes, and on the quality of finished products. In addition, possibilities for using artificially aerated de-composting systems were tested.
The new Lobau composting plant is located in an open area of 5.2 hectares. The process of de-composting takes between six and ten months, through which the waste is converted into humus. This resulting compost is mainly used at municipally-owned agricultural sites or distributed to Vienna residents for use in their gardens. In 1998 nearly 26,000 tons of first class compost were produced and sent on to farms and gardens. A second plant was developed at Schafflerhof in 1993 to manage the increasing volume of separately collected organic waste.
The basic policy of Viennese organic waste management is to produce first class compost with the lowest possible content of heavy metals and other impurities. It must be guaranteed that the compost is suitable for applications in organic farming.
Waste-to-energy policy and the Vienna incineration systems
At present there are three plants in Austria licensed to burn household wastes. There are two plants in Vienna, which in 1998 incinerated a total volume of 430,400 tons compared to a total waste quantity of 872,000 tons.
Waste-to-energy production covered 21.9% of Vienna’s district heating requirements (Spittelau, Flötzersteig, and EbS). The district heating network is 800 km in total length and it provides heating for more than 180,000 households and an additional 4,000 industrial customers.
The waste-treatment company Entsorgungsbetriebe Simmering (EbS) was founded in the 1970s in the 11th District of Vienna. Simmering processes 75,000 tons of hazardous waste per year and operates two rotary kilns for incinerating such wastes, with a combined capacity of 70,000 tons per year. Daily between 3,000 and 4,000 cubic meters of sewage sludge from Vienna’s main treatment plant are thickened to a dry matter with a water content of 35% and then incinerated at a temperature of 850° C in three fluidized bed kilns. Instead of using fuel oil to burn the sewage sludge, a special waste (organic liquids that are processed from non-recyclable packaging wastes) is burned as this has a higher thermal value. As the plants are equipped with flue gas purification and other automatically controlled systems, the level of dioxin does not exceed the values permissible under law. Activated carbon filters have also been installed and have been in operation since 1992 for the further removal of dioxins.
This treatment process is currently regarded as an exemplary model.
The Vienna waste collection system has installed approximately 200, 000 containers for household waste. For special collections there are 153,600 containers in use of which 77,900 are for paper, 43,400 are for organics, 17,600 are for glass, 8,500 are for plastics, and 6,200 are for metals.
With regard to organic waste, the City of Vienna has made rapid progress in implementing its ordinances. The 43,400 containers for organic waste have been installed at more than 16,000 locations across the city. In 1988 the organic waste project started with only 726 containers. On average there are 162 containers per square kilometer of developed urban area.
In Vienna the average distance to the nearest container is less than 60 meters and in highly built up districts the system is even better with an average distance of less than 20 meters to the nearest organic bin. There is no extra levy on organic wastes. In 1998 the volume of collected organic waste amounted to 90,000 tons.
In the waste-to-energy sector the City of Vienna can also rely on a progressive infrastructure for district heating. In 1998 70.2% of district heating was produced by combined power and heat systems, 21.9% came from waste incineration and only 7.9% from the regional power grid (Verbundnetz). This policy led to a savings of 70% of primary energy sources -- which is equivalent to about 271 million kilograms of heating oil. The savings in CO2 emissions is 873,000 tons per annum.
In 1998 49% of the waste was incinerated, 40% of the waste recycled, and 11% of the waste land-filled.
Department No. 48 of the Vienna municipal authority is responsible for waste management policy as well as urban clean-ups and the waste collection fleet. In 1998 the authority had a staff of 3,377.
The incineration plants at Spittelau and Flötzersteig are operated by Fernwärme Wien GmbH, a private company which originated from the municipal utilities and whose core business is district-heating. The plants are owned by the City of Vienna. The incineration plant for special waste is operated by the private company Simmering GmbH.
Personal communication with Dipl.-Ing. Helmut Löffler, Senatsrat Wien, 1999.
Spet, Gerhardt 1995: Das Wiener Abfallwirtschaftskonzept.
Spet, Gerhardt 1998: Das Wiener Abfallwirtschaftskonzept: Abfallentwicklung - Überblick - Ausblick, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 5-8.
Lukesch, Heinz 1995: Die Wiener Abfallverbrennungssysteme, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 14-19.
Stanke, Herbert 1995: Der Wiener Weg der Rauchgasreinigung nach Abfallverbrennungsanlagen, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 20-23.
Gilnreiner, Gerhard 1995: Deponien der Zukunft - Modelle und Visionen, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 26-28.
Rogalski, Wojciech 1995: Theorie und Praxis einer modernen Bioabfallwirtschaft oder die Möglichkeit, Kreisläufe zu schliessen, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 33-37.
Zika, Adalbert 1995: Strom aus Deponiegas, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 38-42.
Redl, Walter 1995: im Bereich der Wiederverwertung Ein Beispiel aus Wien, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 43-47.
Löffler, Helmut 1995: Improvement of Air Quality by Waste Incineration in Vienna, in: EA.UE, (ed.), Urban Environmental Improvements in Vienna’s 7th District. Conference of Central European Metropoles, Berlin, pp. 32-38.
Krobath, Phillip 1999: Fernwärme Wien GmbH - Chemistry & Environment,: private communications.
Engler, Carola 1999: Entsorgungsbetriebe Simmering - Public Relations.: private communications.
Municipal Department 22, 1999: News on Vienna’s environmental and urban technologies - Environmental protection: The City of Vienna’s climate protection program, pp. 13-16.
| Name | : | Löffler |
| Firstname | : | Helmut |
| Telefon | : | ++43 / 1 / 4000 88 211 |
| Telefax | : | ++43 / 1 / 4000 88 215 |
| Address | : | Helmut Löffler |
| Head of the Department for | ||
| Environmental Protection | ||
| Leiter der Magistratsabteilung | ||
| MA 22 Umweltschutz | ||
| A - 1082 Wien | ||
The City of Vienna has a population of 1,600,000 and the conurbation has a population of approximately 2,500,000. The city covers an area of 415 square kilometers and provides approximately 790,000 workplaces. Vienna is a primary location for OPEC and major financial institutions. Main industries include engineering, electrical and chemical branches, as well as textiles and food-processing activities.
Project was added at 21.06.1996
Project was changed at 24.08.2001