48er Tandler A Waste Prevention and ReUse Initiative of the City of Vienna

Summary

The 48er Tandler is a reuse shop with an additional value for the Viennese citiz ens. Its goal is to make reuse more attractive for Viennese citizens. All the so ld goods are from the Viennese recycling centres where well preserved goods can be dropped off. Due to its modern design and its diversity of goods, this reuse shop appeals to broad levels of the population.

Background and Objective

In 1989 the first reuse shop of the Viennese Municipal Department 48 (waste management, street cleaning and vehicle fleet) opened, named “48er-Basar”. Already back then, well preserved goods from the Viennese recycling centres, which were dropped off from the citizens, were sold in the 48er-Basar. However, after 25 years of existence a further development was needed, due to its outdated concept, its growing demand and its very remote location.

Actions and Implementation

Reuse and waste prevention are more than just providing a reuse shop – one of the biggest challenges is to find the right measures to mobilize the general public for both, the consumption of second-hand goods but also the donation of their thrownout goods. The MA 48 started an intensive campaign in summer 2015 in order to inform the citizens about the possibility of waste prevention and reuse by bringing their thrownout goods to the recycling centre instead of disposing of them. In order to optimise the communication with the citizens, a newsletter and a homepage has been established, which informs about offers and events taking place at the 48er-Tandler but also about general information of waste prevention and reuse. Our aim is, to create transparency and provide information, in order to enthusiast the Viennese citizens for this topic and the 48er-Tandler. Regularly cultural events (e.g. reading, concert, play, etc.) are organised in the 48erTandler. These events should give young, unknown artists the possibility to perform, but also give people a possibility to free access to culture. Through our call centre and complaint management citizens are given the opportunities to give us suggestions, ideas and feedback. The feedback of the citizens is always taken into account. Furthermore, through regularly carried out surveys, the public opinion to this initiative is requested. For example, a survey carried out beforehand among the Viennese citizen showed, that 70% were in favour of an additional, centrally located, re-use shop, giving the starting-shot for the 48er-Tandler. The 48er-Tandler’s contribution to the community is one of its main aims. Therefore the revenues are donated to charitable purposes and goods regularly handed over to different social organisation e.g. organisations for homeless people or refugees.

Outcomes and Impacts

• Financial: all the revenues are donated to charitable purposes • Social and Economic: The aim of the 48er-Tandler is to provide good quality second hand goods to a very affordable price for all Viennese citizens. Additionally, by donating goods to charity organisations, the social aspects are one of the core aspects of this initiative. Campaigns, information and events are carried out in order to raise awareness for this topic in the public. • Cultural: Citizens have the possibility of free access to cultural events, which are regularly organised at the 48er-Tandler. • Environmental: Waste prevention and reuse is a living concept in the 48erTandler. Through the collection and the sale or donation of reusable goods a circular economy has been established in Vienna. Goods are kept in the cycle instead of being disposed. This is not only a measure for waste prevention/waste management but also a measure for CO2 emission reduction. • Institutional: According to the European and national waste legislation, waste prevention is the highest priority in waste management. City of Vienna’s waste management program defines waste prevention and reuse as a key pillar of waste management in Vienna.

Gender and Social Inclusivity

MA 48 has over 20 years’ experience of running a reuse shop – the 48er-Basar. As the 48er-Basar was opened back in 1989, the intention was already to prevent waste and to reuse well-preserved goods that were handed in from the Viennese citizens at the recycling centres. Nowadays, the 48er-Basar supplements this wide range of products from the 48er-Tandler by offering more bulky and bigger products like furniture, sanitation, etc. In the planning phase of the 48er-Tandler, the MA 48 could look back on these 25 years of experience in reuse and waste prevention. However, also other cities like Hamburg served as samples on how to make reuse and waste prevention more attractive. Therefore, knowledge and experiences where exchanged with other European cities. Still, this transfer of knowledge and experience is very important for the 48er-Tandler, not only for its further developments, but also to support other municipalities in their reuse activities. Since its opening in 2015 numerous international delegations from e.g. the OSCE or the ISWA (International Solid Waste Association) were being received at the 48er-Tandler. Not only experts caught interest in the 48er-Tandler. This initiative also became focus in a marketing course of the University of Economics and Business Administration of Vienna, where students had to take a closer look at the project and learn from it.

Innovative Initiative

The importance of communication and transparency: communication and transparency are of crucial importance, in order to get the public engaged in such a project as the 48er-Tandler. The citizens have to be motivated to consume second-hand goods but also to donate their thrown-out goods. Suitable measures have to be set and chosen carefully. Awareness building and public affairs are highly relevant for the success of the 48er-Tandler. Second hand does not have to be related to a flea market. The concept of the 48er-Tandler is proven to be very successful. The modern design of the shop made reuse and second hand also attractive among people, who usually would not buy second hand goods. Make the system easy and understandable for the citizens. In order to get a majority of the citizens engaged in such an initiative as the 48er-Tandler, the possibility for them to hand in their reusable goods has to be made easy. Therefore the collection facilities for reusable goods should be comprehensive, easy to handle and transparent. The citizens want to know what will actually happen to their donated goods. Therefore in Vienna the recycling centres were equipped with proper facilities and the staff was well trained and sensitized for this topic.

Resources devoted to delivery

No. Title Source Author Publication Title Volume Number Date Page Number 1 48er-Tandler - A Waste Prevention and Reuse Initiative from the City of Vienna conference transcript, 13th Recy DepoTech-conference, Montan University Leoben DI Franziska Howorka 48er-Tandler - A Waste Prevention and Reuse Initiative from the City of Vienna 13 2016, Oct 1

Conclusion

According to the European and national waste legislation, waste prevention is the highest priority in waste management. Vienna’s city‘s waste management program defines waste prevention and reuse as a key pillar of waste management in Vienna. In 2011 and 2012 a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) identified waste prevention as one of the main goals of the Vienna Waste Management Plan. As a result the efforts of qualitative and quantitative waste prevention were intensified and formed into the Vienna Waste Prevention Program. Reuse is one of the main goals of the Waste Prevention Program.