Campaign Do nothing out: Upper Austria fights against Littering!

Campaign Do nothing out: Upper Austria fights against Littering!

In Upper Austria, it is now about cleanliness in public space: the successful "Throw nothing out" campaign starts again to counteract the growing problem of littering, i.e. the carelessly throw away waste. The campaign, which is supported by the roadmasters and the infrastructure department, runs from June to the end of August and aims to sensitize the population to the sustainable disposal of waste. Mayor Roland Wohlmuth emphasizes the social and economic stress by Littering and asks the Upper Austrians to take responsibility for a clean environment.

To attract attention, striking signs with animal protest messages are set up. These should encourage citizens to think and point out how harmfully thrown away waste, such as cigarette stubs, beverage cans and plastic packaging, are for our environment. The annual costs for the elimination of these waste alone amount to around 1.5 million euros in Upper Austria - and this is often collected by hand. Throughout Austria, the cost of littering even falls to over 13 million euros annually.

The facts for littering

A current study by the Federal Environment Agency shows a clear increase in the littering problem: 58% of the experts surveyed notice an increase in the past five years, while 62% even determines an increase compared to ten years ago. Cigarettes (75%), one -way beverage cup (71%) and chewing gum (68%) are most often thrown away. It is only estimated that 10-25% of the litter is recorded by regular street cleaning, which illustrates the dimension of the problem.

• Most most frequent types of waste:
  • plastic/composite materials (57%)
  • plastic waste (49%)
  • bulky waste (43%)
• most common underlays:
  • cigarettes (75%)
  • disposable drink cup (71%)
  • chewing gum (68%)
  • disposable packaging (59%)

The environmental damage caused by littering are diverse: cigarette stub contain toxins that get into the environment, and animals can confuse waste with food, which can lead to injuries. In addition, there is a risk to traffic safety on the streets. Current figures show that ASFINAG 2023 has collected over 8,500 tons of garbage from highways - an increase of 8% compared to the previous year. In Upper Austria it was 1,397 tons, which corresponds to an increase of 11% compared to 2022.

measures against littering

The need for action is clear: Experts require extensive measures to reduce literary, including the sensitization of the population and the introduction of stronger controls in waste disposal. Different cities and municipalities in Austria have already started to increase their waste containers and condense the emptying intervals. A nationwide information platform could also help to raise awareness of the topic.

The repeated implementation of the Littering campaign in Upper Austria is an important step in the right direction. Ultimately, however, it is up to each individual of us to protect the environment and to deal responsibly with waste. Let us make sure that our beautiful Upper Austria stays clean!