New service center for municipal waste management
Creating efficient and sustainable waste management poses a variety of challenges for municipalities: From the implementation of legal requirements and the organization of waste collection to the optimization of recycling centers. The people of Salzburg show great interest in the topic – according to a 2021 citizen survey, 96% of Salzburg residents rate waste separation as important. However, the residual waste analysis from 2019 also shows that there is still potential for optimization, as around 56% of the recyclable materials in residual waste could be recycled. In order to provide Salzburg’s municipalities with the best possible support in the further development of their waste management, the SIR has expanded its services: the Waste Management Service Center acts as a central point of contact for all municipal questions relating to waste management.
Practical support for municipalities
The Waste Management Service Center sees itself as a partner to the municipalities and supports them with technical expertise. The aim is to further develop municipal waste management step by step – pragmatically and in line with the actual needs of the municipalities. The service center relies on a mix of different support services such as the provision of tried-and-tested templates, targeted training and networking between municipalities.
The range of topics is as diverse as the challenges in everyday municipal life: from the organization of hazardous waste collection and the optimization of work processes at the recycling centre to questions of citizen communication, the service point offers expert advice and support. A particular focus is on the practicality of the offerings. Current studies show: Well-organized waste management, low-threshold services, clear processes and comprehensible communication are crucial for successful waste separation. Instead of theoretical concepts, the focus is therefore on concrete solutions that can be implemented directly in everyday working life.
Overcoming challenges together
The increasing complexity of municipal waste management makes the exchange of experience and proven solutions particularly important. The 2021 Salzburg Citizens’ Survey clearly shows that 85% of Salzburg residents consider a uniform collection system in the province to be very or somewhat important. As an interface between the municipalities, the service center aims to bundle and pass on successful approaches. The company works closely with the Salzburg waste associations and the state of Salzburg to make the best possible use of synergies.
This networking has several advantages: Firstly, municipalities can benefit from the experience of others and do not have to search for existing solutions. On the other hand, the regular exchange enables common challenges to be identified and tackled in a coordinated manner.
The population’s high level of satisfaction with the existing services shows that the municipalities are already doing an excellent job – according to the 2021 citizen survey, 91% of Salzburg residents are very or somewhat satisfied with the recycling centers and 94% are satisfied with the general waste disposal services.
Concrete assistance for everyday working life
One focus is on practical support in day-to-day work. The service center already provides municipalities with various materials: From checklists for recycling centers and guidelines for the collection of hazardous waste to sample documents for legal requirements. These tools are constantly being expanded and adapted to current developments.
The focus is on the practical preparation of information. The materials are designed in such a way that they can be used directly in day-to-day work – this saves the municipalities time and provides security during implementation. The information offered consists of compact checklists for specific tasks as well as comprehensive guidelines from the state of Salzburg, for example on the construction and operation of recycling centers.
The service center also offers training courses and webinars, for example on the subject of recycling center operations. These training courses not only impart theoretical knowledge, but also specifically address practical issues from everyday community life.
Needs-oriented further development
The Service Agency sees itself as a learning organization that continuously adapts its services to the needs of the municipalities. These needs are identified in dialog with the municipalities and suitable solutions are discussed
This needs-oriented approach is also reflected in the cooperation with the waste associations: The associations are already doing an excellent job of supporting their member municipalities. The service center sees its task as complementing this work in a meaningful way and creating further synergies. Close coordination is intended to avoid duplication and make optimum use of resources.