BILLA and BILLA PLUS recycled around 37,000 tonnes of internal packaging material in 2021
Increasing number of private label products with recycled packaging as well as gradual switch to loose sales and alternative materials
Austria's households collect their waste separately in an exemplary manner - above all wastepaper, plastic and glass.
But not only consumers, but also food retailers are called upon to actively participate in the recycling process - after all, a lot of packaging material is produced here. For example, in 2021, BILLA and BILLA PLUS collected about 35,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard as well as about 2,000 tonnes of packaging film separately and fed them into the recycling stream. This is so-called outer packaging that accumulates within the company because it is delivered to the stores by the suppliers together with the products. In addition, last year BILLA and BILLA PLUS customers handed in around 227 tonnes of old household batteries in the collection boxes set up for this purpose.
"The reduction and avoidance of waste is a particular concern for us and is one of our most important measures in the area of sustainability, which we are constantly evaluating and improving. Wherever possible, we keep separated waste in the cycle - for example, the packaging of more and more of our own-brand products, or parts thereof, are made from 100% recycled resources. We are also successively reducing packaging and gradually switching to loose sales or alternatives such as grass paper, natural branding and cellulose nets. We are also constantly expanding our reusable range. In this way, we are making a significant contribution to environmental protection," explains Tanja Dietrich-Hübner, Head of Sustainability at REWE International AG.
Proper waste separation for more sustainability
And how does the whole thing look on the consumer side? According to a recent survey by BILLA of around 3,000 Austrians, three quarters (75%) consider it important to separate waste accurately in order to promote sustainability. And indeed, in nine out of ten households (90 %) wastepaper is precisely separated. Plastic (85%), glass (85%), batteries (83%), metal and aluminium (80%) are also disposed correctly in the appropriate waste containers. For 69% of Austrians, organic waste is disposed of in the organic waste bin or on the compost heap. In contrast, almost every second tetrapack (44%) ends up in the residual waste. In general, the 50 to 65 year-olds separate their waste most diligently, while the 18 to 29 year-olds lag somewhat behind. In a comparison of the provinces, Vienna brings up the rear in terms of waste separation - organic waste in particular is hardly separated in the federal capital.
About the survey
The market and opinion research institute marketmind was commissioned by BILLA to survey a total of 3,013 women and men aged between 18 and 65 on various topics, including sustainability and waste separation, between 2 and 22 November 2021.
