Vienna WasteWatcher: Record number of operations against the flood of waste!

Vienna WasteWatcher: Record number of operations against the flood of waste!

Vienna remains a model for cleanliness and quality of life. The Vienna WasteWatchers of MA 48, who have been active for many years, have again achieved impressive results in 2024. On April 2, 2025, city councilor Jürgen Czernohorszky and five district leaders took stock of the activities of the WasteWatchers and the challenges of the past few years. Vienna is one of the cleanest and most livable cities in the world, which is largely due to the tireless work of this team.

In 2024, the WasteWatchers were used a remarkable 14,000 times. 12,157 punishments were imposed and 1,290 reports were filed. They also conducted around 7,000 information sessions to promote awareness of cleanliness. Together with the municipal administration or the police, 150 key actions were carried out to specifically combat pollution. A new team specifically responsible for the issue of illegal bulky waste has also been set up as reports of illegally dumped bulky waste have increased by 790 percent.

Increased measures and increased staffing

The legal basis for WasteWatcher's activities was created in 2008. They are authorized to request ID cards, issue warnings, impose punishments and file reports. The amount of the penalties is significant: a mandate costs 50 euros, while advertisements can cost up to 2,000 euros. The fine for throwing trash out of the car is at least 100 euros. The fines collected are reinvested directly in cleanliness measures.

Innovations and future prospects

The “Clean City” conference, at which future topics such as the national implementation of the EU single-use plastic directives and innovation approaches in waste management were discussed, strengthened the exchange in the area of ​​urban cleanliness. Jérôme Lefèvre from bonnorange highlighted the positive impulses conveyed by the event. Topics such as the use of artificial intelligence to improve city cleanliness were emphasized as future-oriented. Walter Schneider from bonnorange gave examples of successful implementation in other cities that were already using sensors and algorithms to effectively empty waste containers.

The need for collaboration between city governments, technology providers and citizens was recognized as crucial to future success in urban cleanliness. A joint call for the implementation of these innovative solutions could help to overcome the challenges in waste management in the long term.

For Vienna, the continuous improvement of cleanliness standards remains a central task that goes far beyond the efforts of the WasteWatchers. With the planned measures and the support of new technologies, Viennese citizens could continue to live in a clean and livable city in the future.

Further information about the successful work of WasteWatchers can be found at Vienna.gv.at. The ORF offers additional details below wien.orf.at and more information about the “Clean City” conference can be found at obladen-akademien.de be found.