1 million items of packaging correctly disposed of by the second birthday of the RecycleMich app

Vienna, 15 March 2023 – Austria’s first recycling app is celebrating its second birthday with an impressive record: 1 million recycled disposable plastic and metal packaging items, 18,000 happy winners and partnerships with major events such as the Vienna Danube Island Festival and the Vienna City Marathon. Whether you are at home or out and about, the RecycleMich app works throughout Austria. The next step is now being taken, because from now on the app shows how scanned packaging should be correctly separated and disposed of depending on the region.

On 18 March, Global Recycling Day will take place for the sixth time. Days of action like this are designed to make us aware that our raw materials are finite and being used up far too quickly. Numerous global climate movements aim to educate people about proper recycling as a key element of the circular economy. However, the recycling potential is not fully utilised, even though we should know by now that we are not dealing with waste, but recyclables!

This is precisely where initiatives like the RecycleMich app are needed. They can help to educate people about recycling mistakes, improve collection, provide information about our recyclables and how to dispose of them, and maintain a dialogue with people. ‘What is the goal of the app? We want an initiative where everyone – users, companies and the Austrian waste management industry – pull in the same direction to achieve a common goal. The common goal is to protect our environment sustainably and to promote the circular economy,’ explains Christian Abl, Member of the Board of the Raan Group. ’The biggest bottleneck is still the collection in Austrian households. We want to get all packaging back into the cycle. We need these recyclable materials to produce packaging again. This can be achieved by incentivising correct collection.’

The latest version of the RecycleMich app has just been released. This handy feature offers users valuable and region-specific waste separation information for correct recycling immediately after the packaging has been scanned: the app recognises where you are and therefore also knows which bin the packaging must be disposed of in.

‘With the RecycleMich app, we are offering producers and manufacturers the opportunity to incentivise the correct recycling of their packaging. The new waste separation information is designed to ensure that users recycle correctly. In this way, brand manufacturers take responsibility for the packaging they put on the market and ensure that the collection and recycling of recyclable materials is improved. We are creating an important link between manufacturers and consumers. This is one of the key elements if we want to promote the circular economy and recycling in Austria,’ explain Stefan Siegl* and Ines Kilnhofer, the management team of the RecycleMich initiative, in reference to this important milestone. According to a recent study by Brand Trust (accessed on 8 March 2023), 71 per cent of consumers expect brand manufacturers to show more commitment and act in a socially and ecologically responsible manner in order to eliminate grievances.

The app also has a lot to offer in terms of competitions. Both Lidl Austria and the Adamah organic farm have once again been secured as competition partners for the third year of the recycling app. A new monthly prize is provided by Sky Austria. The lucky winners can now look forward to a six-month subscription to the streaming provider. And the app’s social media channels are also keeping things exciting: together with our cooperation partner Henkel, a new communication and education campaign will be launched in March. So stay tuned and recycle diligently!

Photo: (from left to right): Stefan Siegl*, Head of the RecycleMich initiative, Eva Müller-Axmann, Managing Director RecycleMe GmbH, Marisa Pia Scholz and Gottfried Bieglmayer, Managing Directors Reclay Systems, Ines Kilnhofer, Head of Marketing RecycleMich initiative

© Raan Gruppe

*Please note: Stefan Siegl no longer works for our company. Your new point of contact for RecycleMich is Ines Kilnhofer. If you have any questions about RecycleMich, please feel free to contact us at hallo@recyclemich.at.