Research

Plastic pollution is now firmly embedded in the public consciousness in Austria and in the research community. Nevertheless, plastic waste in the natural environment and in river systems has been inadequately studied, due in no small part to the high cost and, above all, the labor-intensive nature of the surveys. As a result, the volume, composition, sources, entry pathways, and transport routes of plastic waste still cannot be satisfactorily described. Preventing micro- and macroplastics in the environment, scientifically addressing this challenge, and researching sustainable materials are therefore tasks on which we must collaborate across Europe. The international Plastic Pirates project has already gathered valuable information on the occurrence of plastic waste in rivers. However, limiting the scope to rivers prevents broad public participation and also reduces visibility. The Citizen Science project Plastic Busters aims to counteract this. The goal is to generate data on the current state of littering (focusing on plastic) in Austria to inform the implementation of future measures. The aim is to strengthen the trust of young people and adults in science through active participation in research projects. The competencies of young people and adults in the area of a clean environment and clean waters are to be strengthened, and the broad impact of the initiative is to be increased by shifting it to publicly accessible areas. The Plastic Busters concept is intended to both strengthen participants’ access to science by involving them in research questions, data verification, and interpretation of results, as well as to generate valuable data for science and policy.

About 50% of all food waste is generated by households. Efforts to reduce food waste have had little success so far. Not least for this reason, the Institute for Waste and Recycling Management at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, in collaboration with Tafel Austria and the Natural History Museum Vienna, developed the traveling exhibition “GewissensBISS – harvested.bought.thrown away” on food waste prevention in 2023. In its very first year, it reached more than 5,000 students. The traveling exhibition has already shown great success in an initial evaluation and has been proven to expand visitors’ knowledge and spark interest in the topic among students aged 11 to 17. A separate exhibition for Vienna, focusing on Viennese schools, is now to be produced, while simultaneously analyzing the extent to which visiting the exhibition leads to increased awareness among visitors and, ideally, to behavioral change in their social circles as well. The following research questions will be addressed within the scope of the project. 1) To what extent does the exhibition demonstrate success among visitors by showing a noticeable increase in knowledge and/or a willingness to change behavior? 2) Can a change in behavior within households be expected following the implementation of awareness-raising classroom activities? 3) Can the reach of knowledge transfer be increased by providing targeted information to parents in advance?

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of so-called advanced materials, which also include engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), in products, procedures, processes and various areas of technology and research. This has and will in future lead to increased exposure to these materials and also to their entry into the environment. While there are valid regulations for nanomaterials that explicitly address them and also a definition proposal from the European Commission, advanced materials currently appear more as a strategic term to characterize innovation-relevant materials with high development potential. It describes materials that have been specifically developed or improved to exhibit superior properties compared to conventional materials and often use nanoscale structures. The term advanced material (AdMa) does not currently have a uniform legal definition, but is frequently used in research, industry and politics. The example of nanomaterials, whose regulatory history has now lasted several decades and is still constantly being discussed and expanded, should make it clear how important it is to focus on regulation early enough to anticipate negative consequences for humans and the environment at an early stage in line with the precautionary principle. With this in mind, the existing international and national regulation of nanomaterials should be systematically analyzed for its applicability to the AdMa sector, possible gaps identified and recommendations for action derived.