Waste balance sheet

Waste mountain exceeded 500 kilos per capita in the city

The amount of waste increased by five percent year-on-year.

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

The people of Salzburg produced a total of 80,020 tons of waste in 2024. This corresponds to around 520 kilograms per inhabitant and represents an increase of 5.2 percent compared to 2023. The collection volumes of all types of waste have increased - and are now back at pre-corona levels.

The increase in residual waste is remarkable: although plastic and metal packaging waste will no longer be collected in the black garbage can due to the change in lightweight packaging collection in January 2023, the collection volume of residual waste increased by 2.4 percent. At the same time, the light packaging balance also recorded a significant increase of over 14%. This means that the volume forecast for 2022 (2,000 tons per year after the change in the collection system) was reached for the first time.
The 4.2% increase in collected organic waste is also pleasing - a total of 13,563 tons.

Nevertheless, too much valuable food continues to end up in residual waste. Around 30 percent of residual waste consists of organic waste and food - a clear sign of food waste. The amount of waste paper and cardboard collected remained constant at 8,710 tons. While online retail continues to boom, the proportion of newspapers, magazines and catalogs continues to fall. The quantities of waste wood, bulky waste and used textiles also increased constantly last year.

Maxglan recycling center: 20 percent more customers
Following the renovation and expansion of the Maxglan recycling center - which opened in February 2023 - the waste service facility is increasingly being used by the people of Salzburg. With 156,608 customers in 2024, the number of visitors increased by 20 percent compared to 2022. Eleven employees take around 50 different types of waste from Monday to Saturday and ensure that it is sorted and professionally disposed of. In 2024, Salzburg residents brought around 11,190 tons of waste (2023: 10,610 tons) to Maxglan.

Waste separation and waste avoidance child's play
At the beginning of 2024, the waste service launched an information campaign for children and young people. And the waste service's offer was well received: 145 training courses were held. Around 3,000 children, young people and teachers learned the "Waste 1x1". The topics are presented in a clear, child-friendly and practical way. Some of the training courses took place in the new training room, followed by a tour of the recycling center and the garbage trucks. In addition, lectures for adults on special areas of interest are held on the premises and guided tours of the recycling center are also offered.

Increased staffing of waste advisory service - focus on residential buildings
Salzburg residents are very interested in waste: the three waste advisors dealt with around 5,000 consultations over the phone or by email, 800 consultations at the mobile problem waste collection point at the Schranne and around 200 location questions in the previous year. An additional waste advisor position was created on January 1, 2025. In future, four advisors will be available to provide information. One focus in 2025 will be household waste in residential complexes. Property managers and caretakers will be given more information about waste separation and disposal. Appropriate presentations, workshops and new information material are planned.

Online services increasingly important
When is the residual waste emptied? Which garbage can suits my sorting behavior? How do I register a bulky waste collection date or cancel my organic waste garbage can? The "Digital Waste Service" offers answers and solutions to all these questions. And the people of Salzburg are making use of it. With the online waste calendar, the collection dates for residual waste, organic waste, light and metal packaging and waste paper can be called up digitally and downloaded as a PDF, CSV or calendar export. 
A new addition is the option to download a waste separation leaflet for households as well as a link to the extensive information provided by the waste service. With the "Waste 1x1" you can discover how to change garbage can sizes and collection intervals and save money with better separation behavior. You can run through various scenarios and calculate how much you could save.

Online separation aid - waste separation made easy!
This has been updated and adapted to the new framework conditions of the EW deposit system. The online sorting aid guides you to the right garbage can with just a few clicks. Clear pictures show the correct sorting and interesting information about waste management is also provided. With these measures, the City of Salzburg continues to focus on modern, sustainable waste management and is continuously expanding its range of services for citizens.

Make a note: The Maxglan recycling center will open its doors on Saturday, April 26, from 9 am to 2 pm. The "Open Day" is all about waste, the recycling center and garbage trucks.