That's why there will be no deposit rings on trash cans in Vienna

These devices, which are already being tested in other cities like Linz or Innsbruck, are intended to enable low-threshold disposal of deposit-required containers. However, the Vienna Municipal Department 48 (MA 48) points to negative experiences and sees no plans for implementation.

No Deposit Rings Planned on Public Waste Bins in Vienna

“An introduction is not planned in Vienna,” confirmed a spokesperson for MA 48 to the APA. The waste management department has been dealing with international examples for years and points to extensive tests in places like Cologne, Hanover, or Berlin. The results are sobering: deposit rings are often used not only for bottles but also for other waste, thus contributing to the accumulation of garbage in public spaces.

“We do not want to create waste hotspots in public spaces that counteract our efforts for a clean city,” MA 48 continued. Particularly problematic are half-full containers, which attract insects like wasps and pose hygiene risks.

Focus on Deposit Return System in Retail

MA 48 also questions the often-cited social benefit: access to abandoned deposit bottles is open to everyone, not exclusively to those in need. Therefore, the actual effect is “by no means accurate.”

Instead of alternative collection systems, Vienna relies on the personal responsibility of the population: “It is important that citizens take responsibility and return the deposit bottles and cans,” explained the MA 48 spokesperson. In the medium term, they expect a return rate of around 95 percent through return points in retail.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.