Vienna Recycling Compass is a project supported by the European Solidarity Corps, helping expats and international residents understand how to recycle correctly in Vienna.
While Vienna has a well-developed waste management system, it can be confusing — especially for people coming from different countries, where recycling rules often vary. This project responds to that challenge by providing clear, practical, and easy-to-use guidance in English.
By making recycling simpler, the project supports both environmental sustainability and better integration into local life.
What is the project about?
Recycling is part of everyday life in Vienna — but for many expats, it’s not always clear how it works.
Different countries follow different rules. What goes into paper in one place might go into plastic in another. Some items — like toothpaste tubes, light bulbs, or mixed packaging — can be especially confusing.
The Vienna Recycling Compass helps solve this by:
- providing clear and practical recycling guidance in English
- focusing on the most confusing and commonly used items
- making information easy to access and apply in daily life
The goal is simple: help people recycle correctly, with confidence.
Project Objectives
The project aims to make recycling more understandable, accessible, and engaging for expats in Vienna.
- 🌱 Improve recycling knowledge
Help expats understand how to sort waste correctly and avoid common mistakes - 🧠 Reduce confusion around everyday items
Focus on products that are most difficult to recycle - 📍 Make recycling more accessible
Support people in finding the right bins and disposal points - 🤝 Support integration and inclusion
Make it easier for international residents to take part in local sustainability practices - 📢 Raise awareness through engaging content
Use social media, quizzes, and workshops to make learning interactive and fun
Project Results
The project is already actively underway, with key steps already completed:
- 🧠 Recycling quizzes to understand which items are most confusing and to make learning fun
- 📢 Myth-busting social media series to address common misconceptions about recycling and make information easier to understand
- 📘 Development of the Recycling Guideline – a clear, practical English guide in booklet format
👉 The booklet is based on real input from expats, ensuring it focuses on what people actually struggle with. Want to check it out? You can view it here!
If you are interested in learning about recycling rules in a fun and interactive way, check out our 3 minute quizzes here and here. At the end of each quiz, you can also share which items you find most confusing to recycle!
Project Team
The project is implemented by a group of young people based in Vienna, supported by
Active Austria – Association for Active Life and Education.
The team brings together experience in:
- sustainability
- UX and design
- research and data analysis
- communication and community engagement
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.