Research

The core objective of the project is the nationwide survey of the volume and composition of littered waste collected via public waste bins on the basis of the analysis guideline for waste disposed of in public collection systems and littered waste within the meaning of Art. 8 Single-Use Plastics Directive, Directive 2019/904/EU, which enables efficient, transparent and comparable surveys based on the ratio of analysis effort and achievable accuracy and clearly describes the entire investigation process incl. definition of the investigation objective, division of the population, planning and implementation of analyses including sorting and documentation. It also provides a concise and clear description of the entire survey process (including definition of the survey objective, subdivision of the population, planning and implementation of analyses, including sorting and documentation).

The aim of the project is to compare variants for biowaste recycling and biogas utilization in order to optimize the use of renewable energy sources and quality composts for soil improvement. The scope of the study includes the generation, collection, recycling and utilization of biogenic waste (i.e. organic waste bin material, green waste, commercial kitchen waste and biogenic waste from the processing of agricultural products and food processing) in the province of Upper Austria. In the course of the proposed project, 1) the development or adaptation of eco-inventories that map relevant processes for waste collection, waste utilization, type and use of compost and biogas and transports of biogenic waste as well as compost and digestate on the basis of specialist literature, projects at ABF-BOKU and available process data sets, 2) the preparation of a life cycle inventory (or material flow analysis) for biogenic waste in Upper Austria on the basis of data provided by the client. material flow analysis) for biogenic waste in Upper Austria on the basis of data to be provided by the client on waste generation and composition, plant capacities, geographical location and catchment areas of existing plants, type of use of compost and biogas by region and catchment areas and transports of biogenic waste and compost (if necessary by means of estimates), 3) the definition and calculation of up to four process variants for future biowaste recycling and biogas use in coordination with the client and 4) the overall consideration of the possible optimization as a synthesis by means of sensitivity analyses.

According to the European Joint Research Service Service (JRC, 2023), 62% of food waste occurs at the consumer level and is responsible for more than 70% of the environmental impact of food waste, emphasising the need to focus on prevention measures in households. One reason for food waste in households has been identified as incorrect storage. Measures that impart appropriate knowledge about the correct storage of fruit and vegetables can therefore be expected to have a corresponding waste prevention potential. Food routines that encompass lifestyles and habits have great potential for minimising food waste. 46% of consumers would like information on how to handle food correctly/better and how to avoid food waste directly in retail outlets. As part of this project, awareness-raising measures for the correct storage of fruit and vegetables are therefore being developed, tested and evaluated directly at the point of sale for the first time in cooperation with the Austrian food retail chain Hofer KG as a project partner. Hofer customers are intensively involved in both the development and evaluation of the measures by means of interviews at the PoS and focus groups in advance.