Funding for Waste Prevention

Funding for Waste Prevention under the Waste Management Act

Preventing waste protects the environment, safeguards health and conserves natural resources. According to the provisions of the Waste Management Act 2002, Austrian collection and recovery systems must make at least 0.5 percent of the annual compliance fees received available for the funding of waste prevention projects.

In the area of collection and recovery systems for waste electrical and electronic equipment, the funding of waste prevention projects also includes preparation for reuse and the reuse of entire devices. From 2024 onwards, the amount of funding available for waste prevention projects and reuse activities in this area will increase to 2.5 percent, and from 2026 onwards to 4.5 percent of the annual compliance fees received.

The criteria for waste prevention projects are defined in Section 29(4a) of the Waste Management Act 2002. These include measures:

• to prevent the use of input materials and operating supplies that affect the waste quality of the product or any by-products,
• that lead to a reduction in production waste,
• that lead to a reduction in packaging waste, in particular through the introduction of reusable packaging,
• that contribute to waste prevention through the optimisation of logistics,
• that achieve waste prevention through awareness-raising, training measures or the establishment of suitable networks,
• within the framework of the Waste Prevention Programme pursuant to Section 9a of the Waste Management Act 2002.

The Funding Programme of Collection and Recovery Systems

At present, collection and recovery systems have been established for the collection and recovery of packaging, waste electrical and electronic equipment, waste batteries and end-of-life vehicles.

In the packaging sector, waste prevention projects have been managed since 2015 by the non-profit Packaging Coordination Office GmbH (VKS).

In the area of waste electrical and electronic equipment, projects for waste prevention or preparation for reuse (ReUse) have been managed by the Electrical and Electronic Waste Coordination Centre Austria GmbH (EAK) since 2024.

The Funded Projects

As part of the supervisory activities of the Federal Ministry, waste prevention projects of approved collection and recovery systems are reviewed both for their suitability and for compliance with the legally prescribed use of funds. The lists of funded projects, including descriptions, are provided to the Ministry by the coordination offices.