G’scheit feiern – Reusable Crockery at Events

05 June 2013

Several regions and municipalities in Austria have taken initiative to reduce the amount of waste generated at big festivities. Most of them did so by banning the use of disposable crockery and launching intensive information campaign. In order to support the measure and help the organisers, many cities and regions are offering to lend reusable dishes and a vehicleto clean the dishes from the authorities.

In 2001, the Austrian region Styria introduced the brand “G´SCHEIT FEIERN” (clever feasting) as a “new Styrian festival culture” based on sustainability. This included the generation of less waste, the consumption of regional products of superior quality and alternative solutions for arrival and departure with cars during festivities. The brand "G`SCHEIT FEIERN" was established at the country’s exhibition 2001 in Weiz and was realised all over Styria in the years from 2002 to 2005 by the support of the Styrian waste management-associations and many other partners.

Superior priority is given to waste prevention. Therefore one-way products like one-way tableware, -cutlery, -cups are not used, but porcelain tableware, drinking glasses, metallic cutlery are generally applied and preferably washed on site. By promoting the consumption of locally produced and manufactured products (ideally treated ecologically) added value remains in the region and environment is discharged by the lapse of long distance transportation and needless packaging. For this reason waste production is reduced of about 90%. Participation rate increase thus by more than 80 % (events) and 47 % (visitors) between 2001 and 2011.

By changing over to reusable plastic-cups and start up of the central cup-washing-plant financially supported by department for waste management and sustainability in the year 2000, the cornerstone for application of reusable plastic-cups was laid.

For more information: Robert Ritter, Department for Waste Management and Sustainability, Styria, +43 (316) 877-4329, robert.ritter@stmk.gv.at, or Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Wilhelm Himmel (Head of division), +43 316 877-2153, wilhelm.himmel@stmk.gv.at

General data

Country	Austria
RA/LA	Styria
Population	1,213,255 (2012)
Waste generated (kg/inh/y)	430.48 kg/inh/y (Total waste generated in Styria, 2010)

Waste prevention activity data

Waste flow	Packaging waste : Disposable crockery
Strategy	Refillable/returnable packaging
Scale	Roll out
Year(s) of tde project development	2002
Participation target	All medium- and large-scale festivities in Styria and all their visitors
Waste reduction target	/
Participation rate	Starting with 76 events and 150,000 visitors in 2001. In 2011 284,000 visitors participated to 389 events. Between 2002 and 2012, about 3,080,000 people visited 3,067 “G’scheit feiern” events.
Waste quantities reduced	approx. 1.3 Mio kg waste avoided from 2001-2008, about 0.7 kg per visitor
Budget	Starting budget for pilot phase, 2002/2003: 560,000 €. 2004-2010: Annual budget of 200,000 € (for advertisement and for the provision of infrastructure: reusable crockery, reusable cups, glasses, dishwasher etc.). 2011-2013: Annual budget of 100,000 €