RecycleMich app wins international Recycling Heroes Award 2023 from the Global Recycling Foundation

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Vienna, 22.03.2023 – The Global Recycling Foundation in London has awarded the “RecycleMich” app with a Recycling Heroes Award 2023. The app gamifies the correct disposal of packaging and rewards it with attractive prizes. The competition was held for the fourth time on the occasion of the annual Global Recycling Day and honours companies that recycle sensibly even in economically challenging times.

Austria’s first recycling app “RecycleMich” is thus one of a select group of ten international award winners who have demonstrated special creativity and innovation in collecting recyclables over the past twelve months. The app helps consumers throughout Austria to properly dispose of empty packaging made of plastic or metal. To do this, it scans the barcode of the product, finds the appropriate recycling container and shows the correct disposal route. Those who successfully collect receive points and get the chance to win attractive prizes. “We are very excited about the Recycling Heroes Award 2023. We are the first Austrian initiative to have succeeded in this,” says Stefan Siegl* from the RecycleMe GmbH’s RecycleMich initiative. “Movements like this should make us aware that our raw materials are finite and being used up far too quickly. Despite numerous global climate initiatives, the recycling potential is not fully utilised. Therefore, such awards are all the more significant.” 

Awarded waste reducers

The Global Recycling Foundation recognises not only companies, but also individuals and communities with the “Recycling Heroes”. The decisive factor is the recycling contribution in the last twelve months. The Recycling Hero 2023 election focused on the three Rs – Reuse, Reduce & Recycle. The ten winners were selected based on the criteria of resource efficiency and waste reduction and will each receive prize money of 1,000 US dollars. 

Global collections defy obstacles

“It is inspiring to see how award winners from all over the world, despite legal and financial obstacles, repeatedly implement successful recycling initiatives and win over the population to collect recyclables,” says Ines Kilnhofer Head of Marketing of the RecycleMich initiative. “In Austria, the biggest bottleneck is still the collection in households. We want to lead all packaging back into the cycle in order to produce new packaging from it again. A survey on our app shows that more than 40 percent of our users have improved their recycling behaviour through the RecycleMich app. This shows us, that we are making a difference with our initiative. We will use the prize money to benefit the RecycleMich community and invest it in our competition prizes. 

RecycleMich app for the benefit of all involved

The app is an important part in closing the loop. Because circular economy can only work, if all consumers participate. “With the RecycleMich app, we have the right tool to encourage people to collect their empty packaging properly,” says Ines Kilnhofer. However, Austria has a considerable amount of catching up to do in the collection and recycling of plastic packaging. So far, only one in four packages is sent for high-quality recycling. To reach the EU target by 2025, Austria must double its quota. 

Win prizes with recycling

Those who dispose of empty packaging with the RecycleMich app can, with a little luck, also win prizes such as shopping vouchers from Lidl or ADAMAH BioHof. By documenting correct disposal, points can be collected which are automatically entered into prize draws. RecycleMich now has numerous partners, such as Coca-Cola, Eckes-Granini and Henkel. Users even receive bonus points for disposing of products from the partner companies. In addition, there is a monthly chance to win great monthly prizes, such as a six-month subscription to the streaming provider Sky Austria.

*Note: Stefan Siegl no longer works for our company. Your new contact person for RecycleMich is Ines Kilnhofer. If you have any questions about RecycleMich, please contact us at hallo@recyclemich.at.