Chair of Waste Processing Technology and Waste Management (AVAW) Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering Montanuniversität Leoben (MUL) Franz-Josef-Strasse 18, 8700 Leoben, Austria E-Mail: avaw@unileoben.ac.at, Homepage: avaw.unileoben.ac.at DTU Sustain Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) Bygningstorvet, Building 115, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark Homepage: sustain.dtu.dk/en/om-os Consumers confused: Where to throw the compostable plastic? Namrata Mhaddolkar (MUL & DTU), Alexia Tischberger-Aldrian (MUL) The project C-PlaNeT has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska Curie grant agreement No. 859885. Background: • Starting 1st January 2020, plastic bags were banned in Austria; except for biodegradable bags. • According to Austrian compost ordinance, certified compostable dustbin bags could be thrown along with the biowaste. • Waste sorting guidelines instruct: compostable plastic packaging & bags to be disposed in lightweight packaging or residual waste bin. Visual identification method: Research question: What kind of compostable plastics were found in the lightweight packaging, organic, & residual waste in Austria? Lightweight packaging waste: Residual waste: Obtaining samples: • 27 samples from reject material from plastic waste sorting facility. • Samples collected from falling conveyer belt. Items found: • Supermarket carrier bags (majority), packaging for carrots, packaging nets from wood-fibre for onions, and dustbin bags. • No PLA material was found. • Some bags without proper labelling were found. Organic waste: Obtaining samples : • 27 samples from input material to composting facility. • The compost pile was divided into three parts based on length, and samples were taken from each section. Items found: • Dustbin bags (majority), packaging for carrots, and supermarket carrier bags. • No PLA material was found. • Some bags without proper labelling were found. Obtaining samples : • 27 samples from input material to residual waste handling facility. • Samples collected via quartering method. Items found: • Supermarket carrier bags (majority), packaging nets from wood-fibre for onions, dustbin bags, and take-away food packaging from PLA material. • Some bags without proper labelling were found. References: • Altstoff Recycling Austria AG. (2022). PACKSTOFFE AUF BIOLOGISCHER BASIS [Press release]. Wien. https://www.ara.at/uploads/Dokumente/Info- Merkbl%C3%A4tter/ARA-IB-Packstoffe-auf-biologischer-Basis-2022.pdf • Verordnung des Bundesministers für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft über Qualitätsanforderungen an Komposte aus Abfällen (2001). https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnorm en&Gesetzesnummer=20001486 • Federal Ministry Republic of Austria. (2020). Plastic bag ban in Austria as from 2020. Federal Ministry Republic of Austria - Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. https://www.bmk.gv.at/en/topics/climate-environment/waste- resource-management/waste-prevention/plastic-bag.html • Sametinger, S. (2017). Entsorgung von Bioplastik. ichbinsoplastikfrei. https://www.ichbinsoplastikfrei.at/grosse-unsicherheit-bei-der- entsorgung-von-bioplastik/ • COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (2022). https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/communication-eu- policy-framework-biobased-biodegradable-and-compostable- plastics_en • Image Sources: www.european-bioplastics.org; www.tuv-at.be; www.dincertco.de; www.showsbee.com Namrata Mhaddolkar namrata.mhaddolkar@unileoben.ac.at; namha@dtu.dk Webseite: LinkedIn (Scan the QR Code) Conclusion: • Similar kinds of compostable plastics were found in all three waste streams, although the quantities differed. • Even with labeling, consumers found confused w