6.2 Brigittenau Regional Waste Prevention Concept
Waste prevention is the most effective way of conserving resources and an essential aspect of climate protection. With this in mind, WieNeu+ has launched a Regional Waste Prevention Concept in Brigittenau, Vienna's 20th district. The following measures are to be implemented over the coming years as part of the Waste Prevention Concept:
- Shopping bag recycling boxes at Hannover Market
- Information and awareness-raising activities on waste prevention
- Swap shops and/or flea markets
- Monthly litter pick-ups in the area around the market
- wohnpartner book and household item banks (run by the municipal housing community support teams)
- wohnpartner mobile planters/community gardens (run by the municipal housing community support teams)
- "Grätzlmarie" focus on waste prevention
- Courses at adult education centres (VHS) on reuse/recycling, repair and cooking with leftover food
In June 2025, the "Grätzlmarie" funding scheme successfully initiated a focus on waste prevention and circularity in the neighbourhood. The aim was to target funding at citizen-led projects working to help conserve resources, and 50% of the submitted projects addressed this issue. These were:
- Kaps-Gartl (community gardening initiative)
- ZIG – energy and resources
- ZIG – community reporting
- Weniger Müll im Grätzl – awareness-raising activities for waste prevention
- Carrots in Jars
Takeaways & challenges
- When planning and implementing waste prevention measures in a neighbourhood, coordination and cooperation among policy-makers, waste management operations and other sectors of the economy is essential, and bringing local people on board to support the measures is especially important.
- The "Grätzlmarie" ideas fund is a suitable tool for directing civic engagement toward specific urban renewal issues.
Link to the press release: https://www.umweltbundesamt.at/news250422-abfallvermeidung-im-wiener-graetzl (German)