31/05/2026
Our Vienna Recycling Compass is ready! âťď¸
This English guide was created based on 100+ quiz answers, a recycling workshop, several conversations with Vienna expats, and many, many checks of the official MA48 guidelines. We wanted to make recycling in Vienna a little less confusing, especially for people who are new to the city or still unsure about tricky everyday items.
Of course, no guide is ever truly âfinishedâ. We are committed to improving it, updating it, and making it as useful as possible. You can still help us by completing one of our recycling quizzes - link in the comments for the quiz and the guideline!
To celebrate the final guide, we also spoke with two people with environmental/recycling knowledge and two expats living in Vienna about their real-life experiences with waste sorting.
One thing came up again and again: most people want to recycle correctly, but the tricky part starts when items are mixed, coated, dirty, or simply do not clearly fit into one category.
The experts highlighted that recycling mistakes often happen with good intentions. People put something into recycling because they hope it belongs there. The expats focused more on everyday confusion: different rules than in their home countries, unclear bins, and not always knowing where to check.
The most useful advice was simple: start with the items you throw away most often, sort your bins clearly at home, and check Vienna-specific rules when unsure. Clearer signs, more real-life examples, and information in different languages would make recycling easier for many people.
That is exactly what we hope this guide can support: clearer, easier, and more confident recycling in Vienna.
