2016
ARA GROUP TRANSPARENCY REPORT
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
DIE ARA GRUPPE
content
5
content
Preface ARA group Ownership structure Management Supervisory board 6
Environment 34
Figures and objectives 52
8
Collection and recovery of packaging Collection and recovery of WEEE Corporate waste management solutions Environmental impact 35
43
44
45
Economic indicators Environmental indicators Social indicators Objectives and measures 53
59
63
65
People 46
Employees Remuneration Further training Health and safety Work-life balance Internal communications Idea management 47
48
48
48
48
48
48
Contacts Imprint GRI G4 content index 68
69
70
Making-of: Recycling flipbook 73
Society Waste consultants Environmental education Views on waste sorting Social responsibility Sports sponsoring 49
49
49
50
50
51
11
12
13
Corporate culture 14
ARA group mission statement Dialogue and communication Innovation, research and development International role 15
18
1
22
Business 24
Packaging Electrical and electronic equipment, batteries Disposal solutions for business and industry Event service IT services Initiatives of the Austrian business community 25
29
30
31
32
33
PREFACE
SHAPING CHANGE
PREFACE
There is a time for consolidation and there is a time for
transformation. For ARA AG, and the ARA group as a whole,
2015 was a year of fundamental reorientation. On 1 January
2015, the Austrian system for the collection and recovery of
packaging underwent the biggest change in 20 years. New
rules were put in place for the authorisation of compliance
schemes for household packaging. Since then, the market
entry of new schemes has strengthened competition – on
the basis of new rules.
The new rules provide a clear legal definition of household
and commercial packaging. Establishing a parallel collection system is prohibited; market entrants have to share use
of the existing infrastructure. In addition, the new Remuneration Ordinance has extended the principle of producer
responsibility to apply to packaging not only when it is
collected separately, but also when it is discarded in general
waste bins. All these changes serve to promote competition
among compliance schemes for household packaging.
The ARA group has embraced these changes and has repositioned itself in the market early on. We implemented a
comprehensive set of cost-cutting and efficiency measures
that allowed us to absorb more than one-half of the additional costs from the Remuneration Ordinance and prevent
a substantial increase in our tariff rates. These measures
were all the more necessary given that the cost impact of
the new legal framework has been especially relevant for us
as the market leader.
In addition, we decided to move even closer together at
the group level to harness synergies between ARA AG and
its subsidiaries, ARAplus GmbH, ARES GmbH, Austria Glas
Recycling GmbH, ERA GmbH and NetMan GmbH. This
has allowed us to offer our customers a new and extended
range of services, with ARAplus being the ARA group’s
one-stop shop of solutions in waste management, resource
management and corporate environmental protection.
While waste management has always been our core business, we also act as a supplier: The packaging, WEEE and
batteries we collect are important raw materials that we
provide to the domestic industry, which helps protect the
environment. Maximising ecological benefit while at the
same time minimising economic cost is still at the heart of
our actions.
In the past years, we have been proactive in facilitating the
market transformation in Austria to allow for stronger but
fair competition in the market for the collection of pack-
Alfred Berger
Chairman of the Supervisory Board
7
aging from households. The smooth transition to the new
model confirms the success of our efforts. In fact, the market opening in Austria has garnered international attention
and acclaim and is considered a best-practice example in
Europe.
We have remained true to the principles of transparency
and fairness throughout the process, and we fully intend to
show that, in the long run, competition can only be successful based on these principles. This is why, for the first time
this year, we are publishing the ARA group Transparency
Report, which provides information on all companies and
services.
ARA’s success has been built on the trust our customers
place in us and on Austrian consumers’ and businesses’
commitment to sorting waste. Thanks are also in order to
all partners and stakeholders for the good cooperation and
to all employees for their excellent performance: The ARA
group’s success would not have been possible without you.
Christoph Scharff
CEO
Werner Knausz
CEO
THE ARA GROUP
STRONG
COMPANIES
UNDER ONE ROOF
THE ARA GROUP
We stand for innovative and sustainable
solutions, and we are
committed to playing a pioneering and
leading role in our
field.
9
For more than 20 years now, the ARA group has been a
driving force in the Austrian waste industry. Originally
conceived as a collection and recovery scheme, ARA has
gradually established itself as a recycling expert, a driver of
innovation in resource management and the go-to partner
for bespoke disposal solutions. Today, ARA is considered an
international role model.
The ARA group consists of ARA AG and its five subsidiaries –
ARAplus GmbH, ARES GmbH, Austria Glas Recycling GmbH,
ERA GmbH and NetMan GmbH – in which ARA AG as the
parent company holds majority stakes.
10 THE ARA GROUP
ARA AG
Austria Glas Recycling GmbH
ARA AG is Austria’s leading packaging compliance scheme.
Our non-profit company offers full compliance with all
legal and regulatory requirements for packaging. We use
the revenues from license fees to organise and finance the
collection and recovery of packaging waste in Austria. ARA
AG is a stock corporation under Austrian law.
The non-profit Austria Glas Recycling has organised the
collection and recycling of glass packaging in Austria since
the 1970s. Glass recycling is a prototype and role model for
circular economy systems. Internationally, it is recognised
as a best-practice example in terms of recycling rates as
well as environmental and sustainability standards.
ARAplus GmbH
ERA GmbH
Our service subsidiary, ARAplus, is a one-stop shop for the
full range of ARA group services. Our specialists provide
consultancy services, a packaging and WEEE compliance
service, bespoke disposal solutions and IT services. ARAplus
is the disposal partner for Industry 4.0.
THE Austrian specialist for waste electrical and electronic
equipment (WEEE), ERA offers a comprehensive recycling
service and, for businesses, a compliance service for WEEE
and batteries. We take on all obligations that businesses
have and may outsource under the Austrian WEEE Ordinance and the Batteries Ordinance.
ARES GmbH
ARES provides bespoke disposal solutions for business and
industry. With its comprehensive range of services, ARES
helps customers – businesses as well as event organisers –
implement professional waste management solutions.
NetMan GmbH
NetMan offers a number of IT solutions tailored to the
needs of waste management companies to help them
to meet the industry’s extensive data recording and data
submission requirements. We draw on many years of experience in the development and implementation of complex
software solutions and database applications.
THE ARA GROUP 11
ARA GROUP OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE
Share
ERA
association
Wholesalers/
retailers
80.02 %
3.33 %
3.33 %
3.33 %
1.66 %
1.66 %
3.33 %
3.33 %
ARA association
ARO GmbH
PTP
Pro Glas GmbH
ÖKK
association
Ferro Pack
association
ProAlu Pack
association
VGA
VHP
Glass
Plastic
Ferrous
metal
Aluminium
Drink cartons
Packers, fillers,
importers
Packaging
manufacturers 1
Paper
1/3
1/3
1/3
ARA AG
49 %
ERA GmbH
51 %
100 %
ARES GmbH
For the following materials: ceramics, textile fibres, other composite materials and biodegradable materials.
1
Vetropack
Austria GmbH
24.5 %
100 %
100 %
ARAplus GmbH
NetMan GmbH
51 %
24.5 %
Austria Glas
Recycling GmbH
Wood
Stölzle
Oberglas
GmbH
12 THE ARA GROUP
ARA GROUP ORGANISATION CHART
Werner Knausz
CEO, ARA AG
Managing Director, ARAplus GmbH
Managing Director, ARES GmbH
Christoph Scharff
CEO, ARA AG
Managing Director, ARES GmbH
Sandra Holzinger
Communications
Frank Dicker
Sales and Customer Service
Managing Director, ARAplus GmbH
Erwin Janda
Household Scheme
Managing Director, ARES GmbH
Christoph Zwick
Finance
Heribert Löcker
Legal
Reinhard Pinter
Accounting and Sales Support
Internal Audit
Harald Pichler
Industrial and Commercial Scheme,
Product Management
Erwin Gmeidler
Controlling
Dieter Schuch
Technical Services
Martin Wieser
Information Technology
Harald Hauke
Managing Director,
Austria Glas Recycling GmbH
Evelyne Antreich
Environmental officer
Susanne Neubauer
Personnel and Administration
Thomas Maier
Managing Director, ERA GmbH
Michael Lichtenegger
Managing Director, NetMan GmbH
Version of 1 June 2016
THE ARA GROUP 13
SUPERVISORY BOARD OF ARA AG
Susanne Sabine Aigner-Haas
Beate Andres (from 23 June 2015)
Alfred Berger, Chairman
Nicole Berkmann
Wolfgang Buchsbaum (until 23 June 2015)
Rainer Carqueville (until 23 June 2015)
Thomas Eck (from 23 June 2015)
Alfred Fogarassy, Vice Chairman
Gerhard Haider
Susanne Lontzen
Alexander Loimayr (from 23 June 2015)
Alfred Matousek, Vice Chairman
Johann Reiter
Adolf Seidl
Thomas Spannagl (until 23 June 2015)
SUPERVISORY BOARD OF
AUSTRIA GLAS RECYCLING GMBH
Johann Jäger
Johann Reiter, Vice Chairman
Christoph Scharff, Chairman
Johannes Schick
SUPERVISORY BOARD OF ERA GMBH
Peter Benedet
Martin Eisenberger
Werner Knausz
Klaus Kölbl, Vice Chairman
Christian Stiglitz, Chairman
CORPORATE CULTURE
WHO WE ARE
CORPORATE CULTURE 15
Our actions are
based on trust,
respect, transparency, accountability
and a focus on
solutions.
ARA GROUP MISSION STATEMENT
ARA. A DRIVING FORCE ...
... for the circular economy
Offering the environmentally and economically best solutions for the circular economy and saving resources – this
is the core strength of the ARA group. More than 20 years
ago, Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA) started out as a
collection and recovery scheme for packaging. Since then,
we have expanded the range of our services in cooperation
with our partners; today, our compliance scheme is considered one of the best in Europe. State-of-the-art technology,
many years of experience and comprehensive know-how
are the reasons why ARA is recognised as a leading pioneer
and innovator in our field. We know how it’s done – and
what’s coming next.
… for businesses and the economy
The ARA group focuses on acting efficiently to the benefit
of its customers and shareholders, as it is owned by the
businesses affected by the Austrian Packaging Ordinance.
We also ensure that the associated value added is created
in Austria. ARA operates on a non-profit basis in the field of
producer responsibility, its core business, while at the same
time observing sound business principles with maximum
efficiency and cost transparency. A level playing field for all
customers and equal terms and conditions are our guiding
principle. Thanks to our broad range of innovative additional services and close cooperation with our customers,
the ARA group occupies a leading position in a dynamic
competitive market. It almost goes without saying that we
meet the complex legal requirements while maximising
ecological benefit and minimising economic cost.
16 CORPORATE CULTURE
… for partners and stakeholders
… for saving resources and protecting the climate
… for risk management
A strong network is the key to business success in the long
run. This is why we rely on specialists and competition on
the one hand, and on close cooperation with our customers, disposal partners and municipal partners on the
other – above and beyond a mere business relationship.
Our customers and partners benefit every day from our
profound understanding of the market. This understanding,
combined with our innovative strength and courage to embrace the unfamiliar, serves as the basis for the success and
efficiency of recycling and the circular economy.
The natural environment is the foundation of life; it is our
future and responsibility. At ARA, we promote an efficient
and sustainable use of resources. We prevent waste, help
protect the climate and the environment, and provide valuable secondary raw materials and energy sources. A driving
force for the circular economy, ARA continues to improve
the quality of services and the environmental impact of our
operations. In the process, we are building a broad alliance
of customers, consumers, municipalities and decision-makers to address future challenges.
… for employees and management
… for transparency, fairness and legal compliance
Questioning oneself and one’s actions, going through different scenarios for the company, analysing markets, opinions
and trends on a regular basis – all these are key elements of
professional management. The ARA group’s comprehensive
risk management system helps the Management Board
manage risk responsibly. In this context, risk means possible
positive or negative deviations from the company goals and
benchmarks. It is to be identified and avoided systematically and proactively. Our risk management system includes
both a threat assessment and suitable and timely preventative measures, and it ensures the exchange of risk-related
information within the group and between the group, its
owners and the Supervisory Board.
Our corporate culture is shaped by respect, trust and
enthusiasm for work, which is one of the main reasons why
ARA has accumulated a wealth of know-how that is second
to none in Austria and that benefits our customers in our
day-to-day work. ARA employees have internalised the
message that knowledge brings happiness, responsibility is
motivating, and change enriches our lives. They know that
the group’s management will do their best to accommodate
individual life plans and that they will support and challenge
them at the same time. Open communications, constructive
criticism and clear rules on goals, competencies and responsibilities are essential to this, as they encourage thinking
outside the box and foster top performance.
Transparency and fairness form the basis of the ARA group’s
operations. Our business is in the highly sensitive environmental field, which comes with a great responsibility. We
have proven to live up to it by providing our stakeholders
with transparent and comprehensive information. The principles of integrity as well as legal, regulatory and contractual compliance are inviolable to us, as is our commitment to
ARA’s voluntary standards and code of ethics.
CORPORATE CULTURE 17
… for quality and environmental management
Under a broad definition of sustainability, environmental
and economic goals do not conflict – social and economic aspects have to be an integral part of environmental
goals. The ARA group has successfully implemented such
a solution in Austria and is committed to sustainability.
We ensure that we achieve economic success based on a
long-term strategy that also takes account of our social and
environmental responsibility. This approach is enshrined
in our quality and environmental management systems,
which cover all relevant sustainability issues. The ARA group
is quality-oriented and focuses on meeting and exceeding
quality and environmental goals. The quality management
systems used by the group’s companies are certified to ISO
9001, while the environmental management systems are
certified to ISO 14001 and EMAS. Quality management is
the responsibility of ARA’s top management. The system is
regularly updated, monitored and recertified in internal and
external audits. ARA’s quality and environmental management systems are documented in a quality management
manual, which is available to all ARA employees via the
Intranet.
proEthik
Ethical business conduct is an integral part of the ARA
group’s corporate culture, and this is not just lip service:
ARA is a member of the proEthik initiative of the Austrian
Federal Economic Chamber.
Chaired by the former president of the Austrian Constitutional Court, Ludwig Adamovich, the proEthik ethics
working group is a voluntary association of members
of the economic chamber who feel a special obligation
to implement modern principles of ethical conduct and
leadership. These principles are enshrined in codes of
ethics and codes of conduct for the different professions
whose voluntary commitment helps create more trust and
transparency.
18 CORPORATE CULTURE
DIALOGUE AND COMMUNICATION
Understanding our stakeholders’ needs and maintaining
a dialogue with them is an important ingredient of our
success. Two factors are essential in this context: Our customers have to accept the producer responsibility principle,
and consumers have to be willing to sort packaging from
general waste. Our goal is to bundle processes and address
group-wide issues – such as communication with politicians
and business leaders, consumers and our own employees –
centrally at the group level.
We aim to identify problems, understand expectations and
find solutions, which makes it necessary and valuable to
get an outside perspective on our activities. The ongoing
intensive dialogue with our stakeholders allows us to anticipate technical issues and trends as well as economic and
legislative developments.
Our commitment to this dialogue manifests itself in the
ARA group Transparency Report, which is published for
the first time this year. We use it to provide our stakeholders with transparent and extensive information about the
guiding principles underlying our actions and about our
achievements and performance. Published annually, the
ARA group Transparency Report is a Sustainability Report in
line with GRI G4 guidelines.
In addition, the ARA group has published an environmental
statement in line with EMAS for its Vienna offices in Mariahilfer Str. since 2015 (www.ara.at/umwelterklaerung, German language). The environmental management system of
ARA’s subsidiary Austria Glas Recycling has been certified to
EMAS since 2001.
Austria Glas Recycling –
leading innovator in sustainability
management
Austria Glas Recycling is a leader in the field of sustainability and CSR and has received multiple national and
international awards for its engagement. Austria Glas
Recycling was one of the ten first-mover companies that
helped develop the CSR standard ONR 192500 in Austria and one of the four businesses that adapted Porter’s
shared value concept for Austrian SMEs in cooperation
with the Federal Economic Chamber. The company has
been EMAS registered since 2001 and has won several
EMAS awards. In addition, Austria Glas Recycling
has received several Austrian Sustainability Reporting
Awards for its Sustainability Report.
CORPORATE CULTURE 19
The license partner forum hosted by the ARA association is
a platform where our customers are provided with up-todate information about the ARA group and where they can
make recommendations to the association and the ARA
group. In 2015, we addressed the launch of ARAplus, the
legal situation and the status quo of packaging collection in
Eastern Europe, CEC4Europe and ARA4kids, among other
things.
The ARA Academy is the ARA group’s training platform
for our customers and partners. It offers a broad range of
training opportunities, including webinars and training
events all across the country. Participants are provided with
information that is tailored to their specific needs. In 2015,
we held three webinars on the amendment to the Waste
Management Act, and we organised basic workshops in
Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Salzburg, St. Pölten and Vienna to
inform our customers about the Packaging Ordinance, compliance, the classification of packaging and data submission
requirements.
Austria Glas Recycling’s Austria Glas ReCIRCLE is a forum
for discussions with business and industry leaders, senior
scientists and high-ranking politicians. The topics revolve
around the tasks and goals of the Austrian system of glass
recycling. We hosted three events in 2015. Our guests
included the philosopher Konrad Paul Liessmann and the
Austrian Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, the Environment and Water Management, Andrä Rupprechter.
Recyclingdialog Österreich is a stakeholder dialogue
platform that convenes selected participants from different walks of life to discuss a specific issue. In 2015, we
organised the second event, which focused on preliminary
experience with competition in the household packaging
sector. Experts discussed experiences and questions after
the extension of producer responsibility.
The Austria Glas Recycling Stakeholder Dialogue took
place for the tenth time in the reporting year, with experts
from the business community, municipalities, public administration and the research community discussing sustainable development of the Austrian glass recycling scheme.
This year, the event focused on our different roles as actors
of sustainable development.
Our customers and partners can join the ARA Club, which
allows them to participate in events hosted or supported by
the ARA group.
Quality and sustainability can be connecting elements:
Most of our partner companies in the collection, sorting
and recovery industry have quality and/or environmental
management systems in place, which are typically certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EMAS or the Austrian EFB
standard. This means that large parts of the performance
chain – licensing, collection, sorting and recovery – are
subject to one and the same quality management system.
We exchange information and share best practices at the
annual ARA Partner Day.
The ARA group’s magazine, TRENNT, is published twice
per year as a supplement to the Austrian daily newspaper
Der Standard. Through our magazine, we reach out to our
customers, collection and recovery partners, political and
administrative decision-makers, and, last but not least, the
general public.
Austria Glas Recycling has issued a series of publications
with a focus on sustainability, including a Green Book on
sustainable glass recycling (Nachhaltiges Recycling von
Glasverpackungen in Österreich. Best in Glass), a children’s
book (Von Glasdorf-Häuptlingen, hungrigen Flaschengeistern
und Wunderkräften) and a volume containing a collection of
articles on circular thinking (Circular Thinking – Kluge Köpfe
über Nachhaltigkeit und Kreislaufwirtschaft).
20 CORPORATE CULTURE
We use Facebook, XING and YouTube and run an anti-litter initiative (Reinwerfen statt Wegwerfen) to complement
traditional channels of communication, which allows us
to have a direct dialogue with anyone interested in waste
prevention, collection and recycling.
Our lobbying activities are governed by a special code of
conduct for ARA group employees. We believe it is important to send a clear signal of transparency and quality to
our partners, the public authorities, our competitors and
the interested public. ARA is registered both in the Austrian
Lobbying Register and the EU Transparency Register.
In the long run, integrity and legal compliance are integral
to business success. Our anti-corruption guidelines are
intended to support our employees in communicating with
partners and customers and to ensure legal certainty. The
guidelines were put in place to ensure the proper conduct of
staff, effectively prevent compliance violations (also those
committed due to unintentional error), and to protect all
employees from possible consequences under labour law
and criminal law. It is the best way to prevent damage to
our reputation, image and property before it occurs.
A comprehensive legal register lists the ARA group’s legal
obligations and who is responsible for fulfilling them. All
compliance documents are available to ARA group employees via the Intranet.
Network
The ARA group is a member of numerous interest groups and is represented in several expert forums and organisations
in Austria and abroad. We use these platforms for exchanging information, discussing positions and transferring knowhow.
– Selected memberships
–Ethics working group of the Austrian Economic
Chamber (ARGE proEthik)
–Austria Recycling – Verein zur Förderung von
Recycling und Umweltschutz in Österreich
–Federal Association of the German Waste
Management Industry (Bundesverband der Deutschen
Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft e. V.)
–Christian Doppler Research Association
–Circular Economy Coalition for Europa – CEC4Europe
–Federation of Austrian Industries
–International Solid Waste Association – ISWA
–Austrian Society for Environment and Technology
(Österreichische Gesellschaft für Umwelt und Technik)
–Austrian raw materials alliance, initiated by the Austrian
Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy
(Österreichische Rohstoffallianz)
–Austrian Water and Waste Management Association
(Österreichischer Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaftsverband)
–Packaging Recovery Organisation Europe –
PRO Europe
–P/S/R Cluster Sammel- und Verwertungssyssteme
–Austrian Business Council for Sustainable
Development – respACT
–Environmental Technology Cluster
(Umwelttechnik-Cluster)
–Association of Austrian Disposal Companies
(Verband Österreichischer Entsorgungsbetriebe)
–Austrian Economic Chamber
–Sustainability Agenda working group of the Austrian
Economic Chamber
CORPORATE CULTURE 21
INNOVATION, RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT
Based on its many years of experience and comprehensive
know-how, the ARA group may be considered to be a think
tank and competence centre in the Austrian waste industry.
We live up to our claim of being innovators and pioneers by,
among other things, entering cooperations with teaching
and research institutions in the field of resource management, which allows us to quickly incorporate the latest
scientific findings in our work.
In 2003, we initiated (and initially financed) a professorship for resource management at the Vienna University of
Technology. Our close cooperation since then has allowed
us to adjust our logistics and recovery procedures in light of
the latest scientific findings, while at the same time adding
a practice-oriented perspective to teaching. The results confirm our decision to initiate the professorship and promote
excellence in resource management research.
The Christian Doppler Laboratory for Anthropogenic
Resources at the Vienna University of Technology became
operational in 2012. The laboratory was co-initiated and
supported by the ARA group as an industrial partner. The
laboratory focuses on the use of discarded consumer goods,
buildings and infrastructure facilities as a source of raw
materials and future field of work.
The MSc Program on Environmental Technology and International Affairs (ETIA) – a joint program of the Diplomatic
Academy of Vienna and the Vienna University of Technology – offers interdisciplinary training that is required in the
field of environmental protection. The program offers an
innovative combination of environmental technology with
a sound knowledge of international affairs and economics.
Since 2010, ARA has presented the ARA Best Study Award
to the most outstanding ETIA graduate of the year based on
the recommendation of an expert jury.
22 CORPORATE CULTURE
INTERNATIONAL ROLE
The ARA group provides a broad range of services for the
environment and the economy, for the collection and
recovery of packaging, for disposal solutions and resource
management. In many respects, we have become an international role model. Foreign delegations come to Austria to
learn from our experience. A member of selected international networks, the ARA group provides know-how to
stimulate sustainable development while at the same time
benefiting from the sharing of experience.
ARA is a member of PRO Europe, the European umbrella
organisation of packaging compliance schemes that use the
Green Dot trademark. The Green Dot symbol signifies to
final consumers that the companies that place packaging
on the market have fulfilled their producer responsibility obligations and that they finance the collection and recycling
of packaging. PRO Europe has set itself the objective of
eliminating trade barriers and promoting the exchange of
best practices between its members.
In 2014, Austria Glas Recycling was the first company to be
acknowledged as a best-practice example of glass collection
at the European Parliament. This underscores both Austria’s
pioneering role in the collection of post-consumer glass and
our high quality standards in the provision of public services.
The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) is a global
association of waste management experts and practitioners. Its members include public enterprises, government
agencies, scientists and experts from all fields of waste
management research, planning and practice.
CORPORATE CULTURE 23
CEC4Europe
According to the European Commission’s assessment,
digitisation, the energy transition to a low-carbon economy
and the circular economy are key future issues for Europe.
The European Commission’s new Circular Economy
Package was adopted in December 2015. The ARA group
initiated and co-founded the Circular Economy Coalition
for Europe (CEC4Europe), a pan-European platform that
develops evidence-based, environmentally and economically sensible strategies for resource management and
the circular economy in cooperation with universities and
research institutions. CEC4Europe communicates its
findings to the European institutions.
Recycling is a cross-cutting issue that is equally relevant
for economic and environmental policy. This is why at
CEC4Europe, scientists are working together with leading
industrial companies e.g. from the construction, metal,
high-tech and automotive industries to analyse the raw
material potential in anthropogenic stocks, which may be
considered the mines of the future.
BUSINESS
BECAUSE
PERFORMANCE
COUNTS
BUSINESS 25
Customer orientation,
business efficiency
and transparency are
cornerstones of our
corporate culture.
Customer orientation, business efficiency and transparency
are matters of course in modern business, and they are
key elements of the ARA group’s corporate culture. Other
qualities that set us apart from others are the broad range,
flexibility and quality of our services. Demand for off-thepeg products and services is declining; today, customers
expect solutions that are tailored to their individual needs.
This is precisely what we have to offer with our extensive service portfolio of solutions in waste management,
resource management and corporate environmental
protection. ARAplus offers a one-stop shop for all services
provided by the ARA group, including a compliance service
for packaging, WEEE and batteries, and related tasks as well
as bespoke waste management solutions and IT services.
Our extensive know-how, flexible and tailored solutions and
strong sales team with excellent advisory skills guarantee
the highest quality. The ARA hotline and customer service
centres in Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol ensure that queries
from all across the country are handled promptly.
PACKAGING
Austria’s first and leading packaging compliance scheme is
a non-profit company, as is the ARA group’s specialist for
the collection and recovery of glass, Austria Glas Recycling.
The non-profit status is both a mandate by the owners and
a strong unique selling point in the market. It benefits our
customers above all through the high level of economic
efficiency and the ongoing optimisation of packaging collection, sorting and recovery. The fact that unit costs were
cut by 50 % over the past two decades confirms the success
of our approach.
In Austria, the market for the collection and recovery of
household packaging was opened up to competition on 1
January 2015. This came with major legal and organisational changes for the companies affected by the Packaging
Ordinance. We have done our best to make the transition as
smooth and simple as possible for our customers. First-hand
information, a broad range of services and active cost man-
26 BUSINESS
agement have allowed us to stay competitive and secure
our position as a reliable and strong partner with a market
share of over 80 %.
ARA’s online data submission
system: the highest level of data
security
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Our customers can rely on us to deliver the highest
standard of data security. ARA’s online data submission
system has a modern bank-standard security system,
which has been confirmed by ÖNORM A 7700:2008-12
certification by an independent third party since 30 December 2015. Only 20 web applications in Austria have
been certified to this standard, which makes ARA’s system one of the most secure web portals in the country.
ARAplus has supported our customers in implementing
the many changes brought about by the 2014 Packaging
Ordinance and the new Packaging Classification Ordinance
(Verpackungsabgrenzungsverordnung). We offer numerous
additional services that go far beyond a traditional packaging compliance service.
We have expanded our online services to simplify and speed
up the process of customer care. Today, almost all compliance contract and license agreement forms are transmitted
electronically, and the forms themselves have been restructured for clarity. ARA customers can use our convenient and
secure online reporting tool for submitting packaging waste
data, and reduce their administrative burden in the process.
ARAplus experts use process checks to analyse the processes our customers use for the classification of packaging
and for establishing the amount of packaging they place on
the market. For those of our customers who have a large
number of items and products, our Sample Editor makes it
easier to calculate the compliance fee.
In 2015, Ernst & Young GmbH and Deloitte GmbH audited
more than 500 companies for the business years 2013/2014
on behalf of ARA.
Since 2015, the Packaging Coordination Board (VKS GmbH)
has been in charge of auditing the packaging data submitted by obligated businesses (including, of course, our
customers). ARA may be considered an expert in this field
– after all, we have conducted these audits for 20 years. This
is why ARAplus experts offer audit coaching and assistance
during internal and external audits so our customers can be
secure in the knowledge that they are compliant.
In addition, ARAplus provides an international compliance
service to assist customers who export packaging to other
EU countries. We keep our customers up to date about the
relevant legal requirements and options available in most
European target markets. We do so in cooperation with
other leading compliance scheme operators in Europe who
are committed to high quality standards and sustainable
recycling solutions.
BUSINESS 27
TARIFF RATES
Our tariff rates are calculated separately for household and
commercial packaging and for each tariff category. The
rates reflect the expenses the various packaging materials
cause in the collection and recovery cycle. We pass on cost
savings and unscheduled surpluses to our customers in
keeping with ARA’s non-profit status.
New regulations –
new cost structure
The new Remuneration Ordinance (Abgeltungsverordnung) has extended the producer responsibility principle
and coverage targets. As a result, packaging collection
schemes incur additional costs of around EUR 20 million
per year from 2016, as they have to pay for packaging
waste that is collected in residual waste streams. This
has led to a rise in costs of around 13 % for household
packaging. A comprehensive cost cutting and efficiency
programme for 2016 has allowed us to absorb more than
half of these extra costs, so that our 2016 tariff rates are
only 6 % higher on average than last year’s rates and still
more than 50 % lower than our 1995 rates.
28 BUSINESS
REVENUES FROM THE SALE OF
SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS
Price movements in (secondary) raw material markets have
a major impact on our tariff rates. For instance, the fact that
oil prices were low from the second half of 2014 had a direct
effect on plastics markets. A shortage of virgin polyolefin
occurred and lasted until the summer of 2015, leading to
a price increase in plastics prices and to their decoupling
from crude oil prices. In the wake of this development, we
achieved good prices for our regranulates compared with oil
prices, and revenues were even higher than in 2014. In contrast, the low oil prices had a direct effect on PET markets:
The price of virgin PET, and hence also for regranulates,
came under significant pressure in early 2015 and remained
below the 2014 level for the entire year. The high sorting
quality of ARA fractions proved a distinct advantage in the
difficult plastics markets.
For ferrous packaging, the downward trend observed in
2014 in the iron scrap market intensified in 2015. This trend
was reinforced by oversupply in the European steel market,
which was mainly due to the import of cheap Chinese steel.
For aluminium packaging, the markets were comparatively tranquil in 2015, with prices declining somewhat in the
second half of the year. The overall outcome was roughly
the same as one year earlier.
Prices for packaging-grade waste paper, too, remained
roughly unchanged from a year earlier, with a slight in-
crease being observed in the second half of the year but no
major price fluctuations.
COLLECTION AND RECOVERY EXPENSES
The remuneration for collection and recovery services is
regulated in ARA’s service agreements with municipalities,
disposal companies and recovery companies. Periodic tenders and price reviews ensure that the terms and conditions
are in conformity with the market.
Since the beginning of 2015 owing to the 2013 amendment
to the Waste Management Act, all authorised collection and
recovery schemes have shared use of the existing infrastructure for the collection of packaging from households
and small businesses – collection bins and bags, recycling
yards. Collection amounts are split between the individual
schemes in accordance with their monthly market shares,
so that cost responsibility is now linked to the compliance
market.
The slight increase in our 2015 rates can be traced to the
2014 price review for light-weight and metal packaging
as well as to market-driven developments in the field of
energy recovery. Other factors were the stricter recycling
targets for plastic packaging from households and the
increase in transactions costs for the implementation of
the shared-use model. Also, the decline in market share has
not led to a corresponding decline in costs due to sorting
cost stickiness, an effect that we attempted to mitigate by
further concentrating the sorting function. We were also
able to contain costs by integrating the pick-up service for
drink cartons (Öko-Box) into our collection scheme and by
adjusting the collection of light-weight packaging at the
regional level.
All in all, the new legal framework has led to an increase
in the operating costs of collection and recovery schemes
and to higher unit cost, which, in combination with the cost
effects of the reclassification of packaging under the Packaging Classification Ordinance, may lead to higher prices
for household packaging and lower prices for commercial
packaging.
From 2016, household schemes have to cover around EUR
20 million in additional annual expenses arising from the
Remuneration Ordinance. We adopted a comprehensive set
of measures to minimise the impact on our customers, and
most measures have already been implemented.
BUSINESS 29
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC
EQUIPMENT, BATTERIES
ERA is the ARA group’s specialist for waste electrical and
electronic equipment (WEEE). A reliable partner of Austrian
businesses, ERA takes on numerous obligations that manufacturers and importers have under the Austrian WEEE
Ordinance and the Batteries Ordinance. ERA’s non-profit
status ensures that our customers receive the best service
at the best price.
ERA’s success over the past years also shows in its market
share, which increased by 10 % from 2009 and was 38.5 %
in the reporting year.
Taking stock: ERA’s tenth anniversary
On the occasion of its tenth anniversary in 2015, ERA took stock of its effects on businesses and the environment:
On average, ERA tariff rates are 41 % lower than they were in 2005, which translates into cost savings of EUR 15.7
million for Austrian businesses.
Since 2005, around 1,800 businesses – manufacturers, importers, retailers and wholesalers of electrical and electronic
equipment – have been obligated under the WEEE Ordinance to ensure that the equipment is recycled at the end of its
life. Today, more than 1,200 of these businesses are using ERA’s comprehensive services.
Over the past ten years, ERA collected 230,000 tonnes of WEEE that were recycled in 38 Austrian plants. At present,
around 500 people are employed in Austria’s WEEE recycling industry. The collection and recovery of WEEE has been
found to have a positive economic effect.
30 BUSINESS
CUSTOMER SERVICE
TARIFF RATES
ERA customers benefit from a number of additional services
offered by ARAplus in addition to the standard WEEE and
batteries compliance service, e.g. the classification of
electrical and electronic equipment and batteries or the
taking on of obligations on behalf of foreign-based customers (“authorised representative”). In addition, ARAplus
offers a competent consultancy service for most European
target markets to assist Austrian mail-order companies or
businesses that wish to supply their customers abroad with
equipment for which they already entered a compliance
agreement.
ERA’s tariff rates are calculated to reflect the expenses the
various types of equipment incur in the collection and recovery cycle. Despite the decline in raw material revenues,
ERA was able to cut its rates by around 10 % compared to
2014 by optimising the collection system and implementing
new recovery methods: Such are the benefits of working
with non-profit producer responsibility organisations.
Our new services focus on current challenges: For instance,
we have supported our customers in the implementation
of the Energy Efficiency Act since 2015, which saves our
customers money and even generates revenues thanks to
optimised energy-saving measures. ARAplus generates,
documents and markets the relevant measures on behalf of
its customers.
REVENUES FROM SECONDARY RAW
MATERIAL SALES AND EXPENSES
The sharp decline in the market price of secondary raw
materials has had a decisive impact on WEEE recovery revenues: Compared with 2014, the revenues from secondary
material sales declined by around 30 %. Above all the low
scrap prices for iron and copper are problematic for the
entire recycling industry. The price of copper, for instance,
has more than halved since its high in 2013.
DISPOSAL SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS
AND INDUSTRY
Over the past decades, our perception of waste management has undergone a fundamental transformation – both
from an inside and outside perspective – as the mere
disposal of waste has given way to a highly regulated and
technologically sophisticated process, a future-oriented
market that requires great knowledge and economic expertise. ARA, as one of the driving forces in the industry, and
its subsidiary ARAplus have supported their customers with
numerous bespoke services.
ARAplus experts develop waste management concepts in
keeping with the complex legal requirements, they check
and update existing concepts and highlight necessary
adaptations of quality management systems (e.g. ISO
certification).
Outsourcing waste management makes sense as soon as
the amount and quality of the waste produced exceeds that
of a household. Our all-round service for corporate customers has a great potential for savings and optimisation. We
aim to help our customers save more money than they pay
for our services. Better waste sorting leads to a substantial
reduction in residual waste amounts, which helps save
disposal costs. In addition, high-quality recyclables can be
sold at a premium. Our experts analyse waste streams, conditions and cost structures and use the results to work out
tailored and efficient waste management solutions.
BUSINESS 31
EVENT SERVICE
Eurovision Song Contest: Austria –12 points
Big events are a regional attraction but pose a challenge for
the organisers in terms of mobility, safety and security, food
and drink provision – and keeping the location clean. Hosts
and organisers can rely on the ARA event service to help
them minimise the environmental impact of their events;
they have a reliable partner to whom they can outsource
the entire waste management function (including the drawing up of a waste management concept).
As the Austrian broadcaster ORF’s sustainability partner, ARA made the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna a
sustainable event.
Our event service provides a dense network of modern
infrastructure for the separate collection of packaging and
a solution for catering and dining areas. We look after the
collection points during the event and organise the pick-up
and treatment of waste. In addition, ARAplus and ARES
experts organise the cleaning of the venue after the event,
document the amount of waste collected, and compile a
sustainability report. The organisers benefit doubly, first by
projecting a positive image with a clean venue, and second
by saving money, as the sorting of waste leads to significantly smaller amounts of residual waste.
In 2015, around 530,000 visitors of 63 big events were able
to sort their waste thanks to the ARA event service.
The challenge: How to inform thousands of people from many different countries about the Austrian system of sorting
waste and recyclables – and how get the message across quickly. Our solution: An info team was on site to show visitors how to do it right. The amount of waste collected separately in and around the Stadthalle venue totalled 96 tonnes.
Our success: The amount of residual waste (0.16 kilogrammes per visitor) was surprisingly small.
300 bins were available for the separate collection of plastic bottles, paper, glass, metal as well as biowaste and residual
waste – also during setup and disassembly, as a large share of the total waste was not produced during the event itself
at the end of May but before and after. The different recyclables were collected separately, sorted and recycled in an
environmentally friendly manner. Waste prevention measures, such as ARA aluminium drink bottles for the crew, helped
make the Song Contest a successful green event.
32 BUSINESS
IT SERVICES
NetMan delivers high-quality IT services to help ARA group
customers comply with the extensive record-keeping and
data submission obligations they have in the field of waste
management. The range of services we offer includes different interfaces to the ARAplus online platform for ARA and
ERA customers, web-based waste portals and material balances. We provide our customers with tools that allow them
to capture waste data in a simple and efficient manner and
thus fulfil the record-keeping and data submission obligations they have under the Waste Documentation Ordinance
(Abfallnachweisverordnung), among other things.
Our waste portal serves as a platform for collecting and
managing data on the takeover, treatment and recovery
of our customers’ end-of-life vehicles, waste electrical and
electronic equipment, waste batteries and accumulators
as well as waste streams. In addition, NetMan develops
bespoke software solutions for business use with a focus on
large database applications.
BUSINESS 33
INITIATIVES OF THE AUSTRIAN
BUSINESS COMMUNITY
The Austrian business community has a well-established
tradition of taking on responsibility above and beyond the
legal requirements, e.g. in the form of voluntary initiatives.
The ARA group has supported this proactive approach for
many years, providing expertise to projects like the sustainability agenda of the Austrian beverage industry or the
anti-litter campaign Reinwerfen statt Wegwerfen.
The sustainability of the Austrian beverage industry is a
voluntary commitment of numerous market participants
that has helped save around 180,000 tonnes of CO2 on
average per year, which makes it an important tool for
reducing the environmental impact of beverage packaging.
In cooperation with the Austrian Economic Chamber and
the Austrian Beverage Association, ARA has succeeded in
further strengthening the significance of the sustainability
agenda. The number of members has increased from 50
to more than 1,000. In summer 2011, a supplement to the
agenda was adopted after negotiations between Austria’s
social partners. This supplement specifies stricter goals and
even some new goals. One set of measures aims at making
reusable packaging more attractive for consumers. ARA
supports the agenda by ensuring a high recovery rate for
drink packaging and cooperation in the bottle-to-bottle
recycling of PET bottles.
An initiative of the Austrian business community, the
anti-litter campaign Reinwerfen statt Wegwerfen supports
measures to prevent or reduce litter. The campaign focuses
on raising public awareness so as to promote respect for the
environment and the careful use of natural resources. ARA
is responsible for the implementation of this initiative in
cooperation with the Sustainability Agenda working group
of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.
ENVIRONMENT
PROTECTING THE
CLIMATE AND
SECURING
RESOURCES
ENVIRONMENT 35
The environment is
the foundation of life;
it is our future and
responsibility.
The European Commission names the circular economy as
well as the energy transition to a low-carbon economy and
the digitisation of industry as the pillars of development in
the next decades. Producer responsibility is so much more
than just a legal obligation – it has become a powerful instrument for securing resources and protecting the climate
in Austria and the EU.
Even though the collection and recovery of packaging, electrical and electronic equipment and batteries, commercial
and manufacturing waste by the ARA group have different legal bases, they share a common goal: to maximise
ecological benefit by saving resources and protecting the
climate while at the same time minimising economic cost
for businesses, consumers and the economy.
COLLECTION AND RECOVERY OF
PACKAGING
ARA and Austria Glas Recycling organise and finance
the collection, sorting and recovery of packaging waste
throughout Austria. Together with our partners, we provide
consumers and businesses across Austria with a modern
and comprehensive waste management scheme. We offer
convenient and cost-efficient disposal solutions that facilitate efficient collection and eco-friendly recovery.
In 2015, ARA and Austria Glas Recycling managed a total of
around 761,000 tonnes of packaging waste from house-
holds, businesses and industry. Of this, around 732,000
tonnes were recycled or incinerated with energy recovery
by more than 70 recovery partners. The difference between
the amount collected and the amount recovered can be
explained by non-packaging waste and municipal solid
waste as well as changes in waste stocks. About 85 % was
recycled, and the rest was sent for energy recovery. In 2015,
we again managed to meet or exceed the Ministry of Environment’s collection and recovery targets for all packaging
materials.
36 ENVIRONMENT
HOUSEHOLD SCHEME
New rules in the collection of packaging from households
Consumers appreciate that our packaging collection
scheme is convenient and flexible. ARA and AGR manage
the nationwide household scheme for packaging in close
cooperation with disposal companies, cities, municipalities and waste associations. In 2018, a reorganisation will
come into force at the regional level in accordance with the
provisions of the Waste Management Act. We are doing our
best to ensure that there are as few changes as possible and
that the packaging collection scheme remains convenient,
attractive and credible.
On 1 January 2015, a fundamental change occurred in
the Austrian system for the collection and recovery of
packaging from households. Since then, other collection
and recovery schemes have entered the market and are
sharing use of the infrastructure we created. To this end,
our competitors had to enter agreements with municipalities and collection partners. The total amount collected
is allocated to the different schemes in accordance with
their monthly market shares, and each scheme is responsible for ensuring the sorting and recovery of its share.
From 2018, the system will also be reorganised at the
regional level. In May 2016, the Ministry of Environment
allocated the country’s around 100 cities and political
districts (collection regions) to the different collection
and recovery schemes. Each collection scheme was assigned an area for each of the four collection categories
(paper, glass, metal and light-weight packaging), with the
area corresponding to its 2015 market share.
The scheme responsible for a collection area will have to
issue a call for tenders for the collection service and will
be responsible for maintaining the ongoing coordination
with municipalities and disposal companies during a
five-year period starting in 2018. All other collection and
recovery schemes will be obligated to share use in this
collection region.
ENVIRONMENT 37
In the reporting year, 1.73 million collection bins were made
available for the collection of packaging from households,
which represents an increase by around 5 % from 2014
that is above all attributable to paper and light-weight
packaging. At the same time, we extended the coverage of
the pick-up service for light-weight packaging (yellow-bag
scheme): As many as 1.55 million Austrian households
benefited from this highly convenient kerbside collection
scheme at the end of 2015 (2014: 1.54 million households).
In addition, around 1,200 recycling yards (operated by
municipalities and waste management associations) accept
sorted packaging waste from households and small businesses.
COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE
SERVICES
In 2015, more than 1.06 million tonnes of packaging and
waste paper were collected separately through the household scheme, which also includes small businesses with
household-like packaging waste arisings. The amount collected in 2015 was roughly the same as last year. Part of this
amount was collected by ARA and Austria Glas Recycling on
behalf of other collection and recovery schemes under the
shared-use model or is to be allocated to other collection
and recovery schemes.
The first step to accessing ARA’s commercial waste service
is to register with the Packaging Coordination Board’s
waste producer register, which we compiled and updated in
2015. Once a company has been registered, we can assume
all of the company’s obligations arising from the Packaging
Ordinance regarding documentation and proof of compliance. The register also ensures that collection and recovery schemes for commercial packaging manage licensed
materials only.
The per-capita amount of packaging and waste paper
collected through the household scheme was 115.4 kilogrammes in 2015, slightly below the 2014 value of 116.5
kilogrammes. Vorarlberg again ranked first among the Austrian provinces (149.5 kilogrammes). Including the amount
collected through recycling yards and the Öko-Box scheme,
the per-capita amount was 123.9 kilogrammes.
Providing solutions for commercial and industrial packaging waste has been a core feature of ARA’s service range
for the past 20+ years, which sets Austria apart from other
EU countries where producer responsibility has often been
limited to household packaging.
We are continually expanding our range of services. Tailored solutions for business and industry and an attractive
price-performance ratio have made us the go-to partner
and benchmark for packaging waste solutions.
38 ENVIRONMENT
Depending on the amount of packaging waste they produce, our business and industry customers can use one of
ARA’s three packaging management solutions:
−The commercial bring scheme offers maximum flexibility, as customers can select a disposal company of their
choice, benefit from a bespoke collection service and
are compensated for pre-sorting and delivering unmixed
waste. ARA-licensed packaging can be dropped off at
around 130 bring sites throughout Austria.
−The small business scheme is tailored to the needs of
businesses that produce only small amounts of packaging
waste. The shopping area scheme and the SME service
(which is part of the household scheme) allow disposing of a predefined maximum amount of packaging at
regular intervals and free of charge. In addition, around
1,200 municipal recycling yards accept sorted (unmixed)
ARA-licensed packaging waste from small businesses
with household-like arisings.
−The commercial pick-up service is a needs-based solution for large-scale waste producers who benefit from
a sensible combination of their own in-house collection
and recovery measures and ARA services, which is often
the most cost-effective solution. They can use their own
in-house logistics solutions and integrate them in ARA
System.
ENVIRONMENT 39
315,000
tonnes
of paper packaging
collected
PAPER PACKAGING
Recovery
Collection
In 2015, ARA collected around 314,800 tonnes of paper
packaging, and 313,600 tonnes of secondary raw material
were sent for recycling.
With around 1.35 million bins throughout the country,
ARA’s paper collection scheme is highly convenient. The
bins are placed in designated public areas (bring scheme) or
directly at the doorstep (pick-up service). A combination of
the two is common practice, especially in urban areas.
Paper packaging is collected together with other paper
products (such as newspapers, journals, or other print products) to realise synergies and economies of scale. This way,
we can optimise the collection logistics of the household
scheme for waste paper to take account of arisings and the
specific requirements of each region. ARA works together with cities, municipalities and waste associations who
organise the municipal waste paper collection.
In addition, around 1,200 municipal recycling yards accept
paper and paperboard packaging from households and
small businesses with household-like arisings. Businesses
with an average amount of waste paper of 15 to 100 kilogrammes per week can sign up for our regional shopping
area scheme. Under this scheme, ARA-licensed paper packaging is picked up at regular intervals and free of charge.
Recycling paper is a valuable raw material for the paper
industry. All the paper waste collected in Austria is made
into new products. Recyclable paper waste is used above all
in the production of sanitary paper and newsprint as well
as packaging made of paper, cardboard, paperboard and
corrugated board. In Austria, these types of packaging are
made mainly, and for some types of packaging even entirely, of waste paper. Paper can be recycled more than once,
but its quality deteriorates each time. Paper fibres can be
recycled around six times before they are eliminated from
the production process together with impurities and ink and
dye residue.
40 ENVIRONMENT
205,000
tonnes
of glass packaging
collected
GLASS PACKAGING
Recovery
Collection
The total amount of waste glass collected by AGR was recovered. Over 80 % of the material is recycled domestically; the
rest is shipped to Germany, Italy, Croatia, Slovakia and the
Czech Republic.
Austria Glas Recycling organises the collection and recovery
of used glass packaging throughout Austria. Around 75,100
bottle banks are available for the collection of clear and
coloured glass. In 2015, Austria Glas Recycling collected
over 205,000 tonnes of used glass on behalf of ARA System.
Thanks to Austria Glas Recycling and its partners, around
235,000 tonnes of waste glass were sent for recycling in the
reporting year. Both the disposal volume and the collection
frequency are adjusted to regional needs.
How much glass can be recycled depends on the quality of
the material collected. This is why only glass packaging –
sorted into clear and coloured glass – should be disposed of
in bottle banks.
Glass recycling is 100% recycling – glass packaging can be
remelted indefinitely and made into new products without
any quality loss. Recycled glass melts at lower temperatures
than virgin raw materials, which saves energy and helps
reduce carbon emissions. The energy savings achieved per
year are roughly equal to the energy consumption of 50,000
households and help reduce the carbon footprint of Austria.
ENVIRONMENT 41
207,000
tonnes
of light-weight
packaging collected
There are two household schemes: In around 60 % of Austria, packaging made of plastic or composite materials are
collected together with packaging made of wood, textiles,
ceramics and biodegradable materials (yellow bag or bin
scheme). In Vienna and parts of Lower Austria, Salzburg and
Carinthia, more than 3 million Austrians can use a collection
scheme for plastic bottles (which are, in some regions, collected together with metal packaging). Following consultations with the respective cities, municipalities and waste
associations, the separate collection scheme focuses on
recyclable plastic packaging only. Other light-weight packaging is disposed of together with municipal solid waste
and used for energy recovery, with the proportionate costs
being covered by ARA license fees.
Around 2.3 million Austrian households – i.e. significantly
more than half of the country’s households – benefit from
a convenient pick-up scheme for light-weight packaging
or plastic bottles. While yellow bags prevail in rural areas,
yellow bins are used in urban areas.
LIGHT-WEIGHT PACKAGING
Collection
In 2015, ARA collected more than 207,000 tonnes of lightweight packaging from households, businesses and industry.
The total volume available for the collection of light-weight
packaging – currently around 260,000 bins – is adjusted regularly to keep up with the continuous increase in collection
amounts. In addition, households can drop off large-volume
or bulky light-weight packaging at around 600 municipal
recycling yards.
Recovery
More than 182,000 tonnes of light-weight packaging were
sent for recovery in the reporting year.
The packaging is processed into granules for material
recovery. Plastic manufacturers can use this granulate as
a raw material in the manufacture of new products. Drink
cartons (sorted from other waste or collected separately)
are recycled in paper mills.
Plastic is made above all of crude oil, which means it is a valuable energy resource. Mixed and soiled plastic packaging
or composite materials are incinerated for energy recovery
in industrial plants, where they replace fossil fuels.
Packaging wood is processed into wood chips that are used
in chipboard manufacture, as a renewable fuel in thermal
recovery plants, and as structural material in composting.
42 ENVIRONMENT
Drink cartons collection
ARA’s collection service for drink cartons has been
placed on a new footing since January 2016: Except in
Vienna, drink cartons are no longer collected separately
but through the light-weight (plastic) collection scheme.
Before implementation, the co-collection of drink cartons
and plastic bottles was tested under scientific guidance
in a pilot project in Carinthia. The result was convincing:
More and higher-quality material was collected this way
than through the Öko-Box scheme. The new solution
comes with a number of advantages: It is simple and
convenient for consumers, as every home in Austria has
a plastic collection bin within walking distance, and for
the system as a whole, it is much more efficient than the
old solution. It is just as eco-friendly as before, as the
cartons can be sorted automatically and used to make
new cardboard products.
33,000
tonnes
of metal packaging
collected
collection points. In some regions, metal packaging is collected together with light-weight packaging. In others, it is
collected together with other metal waste (e.g. scrap metal,
ironmongery) and sent for recovery, with the associated
costs being covered by the municipalities.
Recovery
Around 27,800 tonnes of metal packaging were recovered
in the reporting year.
Cans, jerry cans, lids, caps and other steel sheet packaging
materials are recycled to produce the raw material for making high-grade construction steel, washing machine chassis,
car or airplane parts, or steel rails. Used ferrous packaging
is fully recycled, which saves raw materials, energy, air and
water in the manufacture of new products.
In Vienna, the separate collection of drink cartons will
remain unchanged for the time being.
METAL PACKAGING
Collection
More than 33,200 tonnes of metal packaging (ferrous metal
and aluminium) were collected in 2015. Most of the around
47,000 bins available for this purpose are located at central
Aluminium is mainly used in the form of bare foil (chocolate
wrappers etc.) or lacquered and printed (beverage cans,
yogurt cup tops etc.). It is also used in composite materials
in combination with e.g. plastic or paper. Re-melting aluminium requires only around 5 % of the energy necessary
for the production of the same quantity of virgin aluminium.
As an additional advantage, aluminium can be recycled and
recovered infinitely.
ENVIRONMENT 43
Preventing illegal waste exports
The Austrian WEEE coordination body (Elektroaltgeräte-Koordinierungsstelle – EAK) launched a campaign to prevent
people from giving WEEE for free to illegal WEEE collectors who transport the equipment – and the valuable raw materials it contains – abroad. The campaign is not only about the value of the material, though, it is also about protecting the
environment. Dropping off WEEE at one of the around 2,100 collection points in Austria is the only guarantee that the
material will be recovered in a proper eco-friendly and resource-saving manner. The campaign yielded significant positive
results above all in the country’s east.
WASTE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC
EQUIPMENT AND BATTERIES
COLLECTION
In Austria, around 80,000 tonnes of WEEE and 2,000 tonnes
of waste batteries are collected every year; of this, ERA
accounts for 30 %. Every Austrian resident collects around 9
kilogrammes of WEEE per year – a top result in Europe.
Around 2,100 WEEE and battery collection points are available to consumers and manufacturers across the country;
ERA provides 100 such points. In addition, people can also
return WEEE to retailers/distributors when they purchase a
new, equivalent device which fulfils the same functions as
the old one, provided that the shop’s sales area is greater
than or equal to 150 square metres. Consumers can always
return batteries to vendors free of charge, even when not
buying new ones.
RECOVERY
Business and political stakeholders have long recognised
the significance of WEEE as a domestic source of high-tech
materials. Eco-friendly recovery in line with the state of
the art helps reduce the amount of waste that needs to
be disposed of, while at the same time preserving natural
resources, as WEEE often contains valuable secondary raw
materials. ERA works exclusively with partners who ensure
the proper treatment and recovery of WEEE and batteries.
On average, the material recycling rate for electrical and
electronic equipment is around 85 %, and the rest is sent
to incineration plants, where it is converted into energy
(electricity and district heating).
44 ENVIRONMENT
CORPORATE WASTE MANAGEMENT
SOLUTIONS
ARAplus and ARES are the ARA group’s specialists for corporate waste disposal. We offer complete waste management solutions to minimise the total cost of collection and
recovery and generate recovery revenues for our customers. For instance, for one of our customers, we were able to
cut the amount of residual waste by half, and we managed
to lower the cost of disposal from more than EUR 100,000
to a quarter of that amount.
To achieve their goal, our experts analyse the entire
waste management process in industrial and commercial
businesses and suggest solutions to improve efficiency.
We focus on internal and external processes and costs,
including in-house waste logistics, transportation, recovery
methods, disposal conditions and the revenue from the sale
of recyclable materials. We use our findings to develop an
optimisation concept, and we offer to assist our customers
in the implementation of improvement measures. In most
cases, these measures include optimising the collection
system, e.g. by providing personnel, bins, a press or mobile
treatment plants, providing training for employees, helping
our customers choose a disposal company and supporting
the implementation of cost control measures – waste management solutions for Industry 4.0.
Recycling – what else?
ARES has operated a separate collection and recovery
scheme for Nespresso Austria coffee capsules since
2009. Nespresso customers can drop off used capsules
at more than 1,500 collection points across Austria. From
there, the collected capsules are sent for recycling at a
state-of-the-art recycling facility operated by ARES recovery partner Höpperger in the west of Austria.
The coffee grounds are separated from the aluminium
pods, which can be fully recycled – cut up and melted
in aluminium mills, the pods are a high-quality recycling
material. The coffee grounds can be used to produce
biogas and electricity in a process developed specifically
for this purpose. This system is considered one of the
best in Europe and has attracted plenty of interest at the
international level.
ENVIRONMENT 45
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Recycling and the circular economy deliver a significant
macroeconomic stimulus, but above all, they help conserve
resources and protect the environment – and this is what
the ARA group is all about: The services we provide make
a positive environmental impact that can be quantified in
terms of greenhouse gas emission savings, among other
things.
around 7 % of the annual emissions caused by all passenger
cars registered in Austria.
ARA’s packaging compliance service is not only climate-neutral – we contribute significantly to protecting
the environment. To raise awareness of this fact among our
customers, we have awarded climate certificates since 2009
to recognise responsible companies that make an active
contribution to climate protection by using ARA’s packaging
compliance service.
EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Electrical and electronic equipment
Packaging
Thanks to the use of secondary raw materials from the
collection and recovery of WEEE as well as state-of-the-art
recycling of CFC-containing cooling appliances, greenhouse
gas emission savings in Austria totalled around 300,000
tonnes of CO2 equivalents in the reporting year. This way,
ERA, too, makes a significant contribution to climate protection in Austria.
The separate collection of packaging made of paper, glass,
plastic and metal has a positive environmental impact
above all because recycling reduces carbon emissions, and
because the use of packaging waste as secondary fuel helps
save coal, fuel oil, coke and natural gas. These beneficial
effects are to some extent offset e.g. by around 30,000
tonnes of carbon emissions of waste collection vehicles.
The external impact of our business activities in 2015 was
calculated using a detailed life cycle assessment model
covering all packaging materials. The results were evaluated by the Environment Agency Austria and
the Vienna University of Technology.
In the reporting year, ARA helped
save around 600,000 tonnes of CO2
equivalents, which is equivalent to
INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
To determine the full environmental impact of our business activities, the ARA group’s environmental management system also evaluates the impact of our office
operations, even if these effects are comparatively
negligible. Energy consumption and paper consumption are the two most important factors
here (2015: 55 tonnes and 4.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalents,
respectively).
PEOPLE
SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
PEOPLE 47
Our family-friendly
human resource policies are essential for
the job satisfaction
and performance of
our staff.
EMPLOYEES
Our long-term success is driven by the commitment of our
highly qualified and motivated employees. Fairness and
a performance-based pay scheme are at the heart of our
human resources policy.
As at 31 December 2015, the ARA group had 122 employees and 4 apprentices.
122
employees
4
apprentices
48 PEOPLE
REMUNERATION
HEALTH AND SAFETY
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
The ARA group has a strictly performance-based pay
scheme, and we offer equal opportunities for promotion to
all employees. Bonus payments reward exceptional performance, and bonuses to heads of departments are paid out
depending on whether performance targets (specified in
annual target agreements) have been met. All employees
receive a number of additional voluntary benefits, including
pension contributions, accident insurance, and restaurant
vouchers.
The ARA group provides a healthy workplace for employees. There were no work-related sick days or occupational
accidents in the reporting period. As required by law, the
ARA group performs workplace risk assessments and
workplace safety trainings at regular intervals. In-house first
aid helpers, safety officers and fire prevention experts receive further training on an ongoing basis. We also provide
numerous medical checkups and two vaccination appointments per year, with ARA covering the doctor’s fee.
Keeping an open direct dialogue between management and
employees is of great importance to us. This dialogue is a
cornerstone of our management culture, which is fostered
by departmental and interdepartmental meetings. On the
company’s Intranet, ARA employees have access to comprehensive corporate information. Information about ARA’s
management system is available through the pARAdISO
portal. ARA’s in-house blog HurrARA is a channel for sharing
and discussing information and new ideas. All employees
are invited to create, read or comment on blog entries.
FURTHER TRAINING
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
The ARA group is committed to the continuous development of employees, which allows us to continue in our role
as a driving force of the circular economy, maintain the high
quality of service and boost morale. In the reporting year, we
invested on average EUR 470 per employee in training and
education. Individual training needs are usually identified in
annual appraisal interviews, where we define work priorities
and set objectives. These interviews help optimise quality of
work and strengthen internal communications.
Family-friendly human resource policies have a high priority
at the ARA group; they contribute significantly to job
satisfaction and performance. ARA participates in a worklife balance audit to promote and improve family-friendly
measures. The audit aims to develop a comprehensive set
of measures for employees that will allow them to strike
a perfect balance between work and family life. Existing
measures – health promotion, support for parents returning
to work, and fringe benefits – are continued and complemented by additional measures over the following three
years.
IDEA MANAGEMENT
We tap into the creative thinking of employees to improve
corporate performance; employees are invited to post
suggestions on the Intranet. An idea forum evaluates the
suggestions made and rewards the most promising ones.
Creative participation allows employees to thrive and increases their engagement with corporate processes.
PEOPLE 49
Environmental
awareness
needs to be
instilled from
a young age to
lay the foundation
for green behaviour.
ARA4kids gets kids
involved in environmental protection.
SOCIETY
The ARA group’s success in its core business would be unthinkable without a high degree of consumer acceptance of
our collection and recovery schemes. We combine economic success with working for the common good.
WASTE CONSULTANTS
260 waste consultants across the country ensure that consumers have direct access to information about the separate
collection of packaging and the regional specifics of the
system. We offer regular training for waste consultants and
provide them with information material for events in their
regions to help raise awareness in society of how to sort
waste.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
The foundation for environmental awareness and practice
is laid early in life. This is why ARA developed the ARA4kids
project, a play-and-learn programme for children aged
4–10. ARA4kids relies on comprehensive teaching materials
for educators to teach children about waste prevention,
litter prevention as well as the separate collection and
recycling of packaging. The ARA4kids material chest, which
was used for the first time in 2016, puts the spotlight on
the packaging cycle and offers a hands-on experience of
recycling. In addition, ARA4kids hosts recycling events in
cooperation with disposal companies and organises tidy-up
days and prize competitions.
Austria Glas Recycling also engages in environmental and
sustainability education for kids by running a programme
featuring Bobby Bottle, a genie in a bottle, who captivates
his audience at live events in primary schools, as a comics
hero and online (www.bobbybottle.at). Bobby Bottle is fun
and entertaining while at the same time highlighting the
background of glass recycling.
50 PEOPLE
ARA organises an annual school competition to foster environmental awareness among students aged 14–18. More
than 30 school classes from all across the country submitted
proposals on “Packaging: Saving resources, preventing
waste and recycling” in the school year 2015/16. The winning project, a recycling flipbook by HTL 1 Bau und Design
Linz, is presented in this Transparency Report.
VIEWS ON WASTE SORTING
Our excellent collection results are reflected in people’s
positive attitude toward waste sorting: A recent survey
conducted by IMAS on behalf of ARA among 500 consumers shows that 95 % of respondents think that the separate
collection of packaging is a “very good” or “good” solution.
Sorting waste has long become an integral part of people’s
lives. This is corroborated by the steady decline in the share
of people who feel they have to make an extra effort to sort
their waste (28 %). Part of this success can be attributed to
the convenient collection scheme: 92 % of respondents said
they were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the collection
infrastructure provided. 76 % of respondents said that sorting waste is a matter of course for them. Even though as
many as 98 % of respondents indicated that they sort their
waste, ARA will continue to focus on raising awareness and
implementing motivation campaigns.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
For the ARA group, social responsibility is not limited to
core business functions; our engagement goes well beyond
that. For instance, we support social projects with a focus
on children and adolescents.
A case in point is our participation in the Kids’ Rally, an initiative launched by former rally driver Helmut Schindelegger
for children with special needs. Our stand has focused on
how to sort waste correctly for while having fun for six
years. We also continued to support the association T.I.W.,
which helps disadvantaged young people find and keep
employment. The association assists its clients in searching
for a job, starting their career and solving problems at the
workplace. In the reporting year, we also supported Boje,
a centre offering crisis intervention, psychotherapeutic
support, and counselling for traumatised children and
adolescents, and Mirno More, a sailing project for socially
disadvantaged young people.
We again decided to make a donation instead of sending
out Christmas cards and gifts. In 2015, we supported the
Caritas refugee aid project.
PEOPLE 51
Photo © GEPA pictures
SPORTS SPONSORING
The ARA group has chosen to rely on sports sponsoring to
enhance the emotional appeal of environmental protection,
take account of the rise in on-the-go consumption and
reach out to young people in their leisure time. As a partner
of the Austrian Sports Aid Foundation we support young
talents on their way to the top, and the young athletes
serve as role models for sustainable behaviour. Since 2013,
we have been a partner of the Austrian Football Association
ÖFB, as football offers excellent opportunities for communicating our environmental message to a large audience.
A special highlight is our partnership with extreme athlete
Severin Zotter, who won the Race Across America in 2015
by completing the 4,837.5 kilometre race in 8 days, 8 hours
and 17 minutes in a great feat of endurance. We believe that
this endurance counts in the field of environmental protection, too, to preserve our planet for future generations.
FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES
TO THE POINT
FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES 53
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
KEY DATA FROM THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENT (EUR million)
Revenues
License and compliance fees
Sale of secondary raw materials and other revenue
Expenses for materials and services received
Initial consolidation of Austria Glas Recycling GmbH as at 1 January 2014
1
Preliminary data of the 2015 consolidated financial statement
2
2013
2014 1
2015 2
141.833
151.380
145.914
44.247
43.899
41.794
152.074
179.515
161.232
54 FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES
ARA tariff rates
Rates in € per kg excl. VAT
Household packaging
As of 1 Jan 2015
As of 1 Jan 2016
1.01.0 Paper, household
0.095
0.095
1.02.0 Glass, household
0.082
1.03.1 Ferrous metal, household
0.240
1.03.2 Aluminium, household
Rates in € per kg excl. VAT
Commercial packaging
As of 1 Jan 2015
As of 1 Jan 2016
2.01.0 Paper, commercial
0.035
0.035
0.087
2.02.0 Glass, commercial
0.050
–
0.260
2.03.1 Ferrous metal, commercial
0.060
0.060
0.290
0.310
2.03.2 Aluminium, commercial
0.080
0.080
1.04.1 Plastic, household
0.565
0.610
2.04.1 Foils, commercial
0.070
0.070
1.04.2 Drink cartons, household
0.590
0.610
2.04.2 Moulded containers, commercial
0.070
0.070
1.04.3 Other composite materials, household
0.565
0.610
2.05.0 EPS, commercial
0.190
0.190
1.04.4 Ceramics, household
0.140
0.140
2.06.0 Drink cartons, commercial
–
–
1.04.5 Wood, household
0.018
0.018
2.07.0 Other composite materials, commercial
0.100
0.100
1.04.6 Textile fibres, household
0.200
0.200
2.08.0 Ceramics, commercial
0.140
0.140
1.04.7 Biodegradable materials, household
0.450
0.450
2.09.0 Wood, commercial
0.008
0.008
2.10.0 Textile fibres, commercials
0.200
0.200
2.11.0 Biodegradable materials, commercial
0.100
0.100
Version of 9 December 2015. This list replaces the list dated 23 September 2015.
FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES 55
ARA LICENSING COST
(average cost in € per tonne of packaging material)
350
310
300
291
287
283
268
250
240
208
200
198
170
165
156
141
132
134
151
164
146
150
129
126
123
129
136
100
50
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 1
Projected data
1
56 FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES
MASS SHARES 2015
HOUSEHOLD
PAPER
ARA
89.48 %
–
86.81 %
80.02 %
–
91.18 %
–
–
Austria Glas Recycling
GLASS
METAL
LIGHT-WEIGHT PACKAGING
Bonus
1.23 %
0.17 %
1.27 %
1.11 %
Interseroh
4.38 %
5.83 %
8.04 %
10.57 %
Landbell
0.10 %
0.03 %
0.12 %
0.10 %
Reclay
Total
PAPER
GLASS
4.81 %
2.79 %
3.76 %
8.20 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
METAL
PLASTIC
COMPOSITE
M.
EPS 1
COMMERCIAL
ARA
Austria Glas Recycling
80.95 %
–
79.99 %
75.69 %
91.94 %
81.66 %
CERAMICS
99.95 %
WOOD
81.46 %
TEXTILES
BIOD. M.
68.10 %
–
–
99.96 %
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Bonus
2.96 %
–
4.16 %
11.47 %
1.29 %
7.38 %
0.00 %
6.28 %
27.49 %
0.00 %
Interseroh
8.85 %
–
12.53 %
8.95 %
5.09 %
4.58 %
0.05 %
9.25 %
3.69 %
3.23 %
Landbell
0.12 %
–
0.07 %
0.12 %
0.23 %
0.00 %
0.00 %
0.05 %
0.00 %
0.00 %
Reclay
7.12 %
0.04 %
3.25 %
3.77 %
1.45 %
6.38 %
0.00 %
2.96 %
0.72 %
96.77 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
100.00 %
Total
Foamed or expanded polystyrene
1
Source: Environment Ministry, EDM portal.
FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES 57
RESULTS OF LICENSE PARTNER AUDITS
Audits conducted 1
of which 100 % correct or marginal deviations
of which suspended
2
2013
2014
2015
462 (100 %)
529 (100 %)
268 (100 %)
296 (64 %)
357 (67 %)
175 (65 %)
21 (5 %)
12 (2 %)
7 (3 %)
of which significant deviations identified
65 (14 %)
57 (11 %)
33 (12 %)
of which refund required
80 (17 %)
103 (19 %)
53 (20 %)
Additional plausibility checks
380
380
0
Additional eco checks 3
114
82
171
May not add up to 100 % due to rounding.
1
Deviations below 10 %.
2
This type of audit focuses on qualitative criteria only.
3
58 FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES
ERA TARIFF RATES
Rates
excl. VAT
As of
1 Jan 2016
Household
1.1.0. Large electrical appliances < 8kg
Rates
excl. VAT
As of
1 Jan 2016
Commercial
0.060 €/unit
1.2.0. Large electrical appliances < 8kg
0.045 €/unit
1.1.1. Large electrical appliances ≥ 8kg
and < 35kg
0.145 €/unit
1.2.1. Large electrical appliances ≥ 8kg
and < 35kg
0.120 €/unit
1.1.2. Large electrical appliances ≥ 35kg
0.450 €/unit
0.600 €/unit
1.2.2. Large electrical appliances ≥ 35kg
2.1.1. Cooling, freezing and air conditioning
equipment < 45kg
5.500 €/unit
2.2.1. Cooling, freezing and air conditioning
5.200 €/unit
equipment < 45kg
2.1.2. Cooling, freezing and air conditioning
equipment ≥ 45kg
8.500 €/unit
2.2.2. Cooling, freezing and air conditioning
8.100 €/unit
equipment ≥ 45kg
2.1.3. Heat pumps and stationary air
conditioning systems
3.000 €/unit
2.2.3. Heat pumps and stationary air
conditioning systems
3.000 €/unit
3.1.0. Display screen equipment ≤ 10kg
0.355 €/kg
3.2.0. Display screen equipment ≤ 10kg
0.270 €/kg
3.1.1. Display screen equipment > 10kg
and < 35kg
0.345 €/kg
3.2.1. Display screen equipment > 10kg
and < 35kg
0.260 €/kg
3.1.2. Display screen equipment ≥ 35kg
0.290 €/kg
3.2.2. Display screen equipment ≥ 35kg
0.220 €/kg
4.1.1. Small electrical appliances < 8kg
0.038 €/kg
4.2.1. Small electrical appliances < 8kg
0.032 €/kg
4.1.2. Small electrical appliances ≥ 8kg
0.027 €/kg
4.2.2. Small electrical appliances ≥ 8kg
0.023 €/kg
5.1.
0.800 €/kg
Gas discharge lamps
5.2.
Gas discharge lamps
0.750 €/kg
6.2.
Photovoltaic modules
0.120 €/unit
Batteries
Version of 1 January 2016
1. Portable batteries
0.500 €/kg
2. Automotive batteries
0.001 €/kg
3. Industrial batteries
0.230 €/kg
FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES 59
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
ARA SYSTEM’S SERVICE PERFORMANCE IN 2015: PACKAGING
COLLECTED FROM HOUSEHOLDS, BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
ARA SYSTEM’S RECOVERY PERFORMANCE IN 2015
(tonnes)
(tonnes)
Packaging material
Amount collected 1
Packaging material
Amount recovered 1
Paper, cardboard, paperboard, corrugated board
314,805
Paper, cardboard, paperboard, corrugated board
313,559
Glass
205,477
Glass
207,916
Light-weight packaging (plastics, drink cartons, composite
materials, wood, textile fibres, ceramics, packaging made
of biodegradable material)
207,3572
Light-weight packaging (plastics, drink cartons, composite
materials, wood, textile fibres, ceramics, packaging made
of biodegradable material)
182,3632
Metal
33,218
Metal
27,778
Total
760,857
Total
731,616
1
Gross amount collected (including non-packaging waste of the same material and residual waste); data for paper, cardboard,
paperboard, corrugated board: net amount collected.
Including the amount of light-weight packaging collected with municipal solid waste and incinerated for energy recovery.
2
Net amount of packaging sent for recovery (excluding non-packaging waste of the same material and residual waste), including stocks.
1
Including the amount of light-weight packaging collected with municipal solid waste and incinerated for energy recovery.
2
60 FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES
HOUSEHOLD COLLECTION IN 2015: NUMBER OF BINS AND HOUSEHOLDS COVERED BY THE BAG COLLECTION
SCHEME, BY PROVINCES (December 2015)
Burgenland
Carinthia
PAPER
GLASS
Collection bins
Collection bins
111,070
1,221
LIGHT-WEIGHT PACKAGING
Collection bins
Households,
bag collection
METAL
TOTAL
Collection bins
Collection bins
2,725
97,851
1,531
116,547
85,384
2,406
12,364
122,380
2,395
102,549
Lower Austria
496,352
20,608
112,588
470,233
9,981
639,529
Upper Austria
219,350
6,971
40,405
198,906
3,023
269,749
Salzburg
29,687
1,605
17,439
119,119
1,223
49,954
Styria
240,617
31,379
55,536
276,320
19,704
347,236
Tyrol
21,748
2,136
6,322
84,309
2,307
32,513
Vorarlberg
47,480
1,933
390
137,778
1,405
51,208
Vienna
96,491
6,837
12,265
44,258
5,513
121,106
Austria
1,348,179
75,096
260,034
1,551,154
47,082
1,730,391
FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES 61
AMOUNT COLLECTED FROM HOUSEHOLDS IN 2015, BY PROVINCES 1
(tonnes)
Paper 2
Glass
LIGHT-WEIGHT PACKAGING
METAL
TOTAL
TOTAL 2014
Burgenland
22,307
8,950
7,721
1,471
40,449
40,798
Carinthia
39,694
14,831
7,525
1,785
63,835
63,790
Lower Austria
114,497
38,760
26,510
5,480
185,247
186,100
Upper Austria
98,614
36,630
26,364
4,758
166,366
166,164
Salzburg
31,073
16,883
10,556
1,278
59,790
59,003
Styria
94,362
35,925
28,203
5,186
163,676
166,857
Tyrol
40,885
29,054
23,671
3,548
97,158
96,509
Vorarlberg
30,541
13,194
10,515
2,304
56,554
55,277
Vienna
118,422
29,018
6,347
3,020
156,807
156,239
Austria
590,395
223,245
147,412
28,830
989,882
990,737
57,835
–
16,089
126
74,050
73,379
648,230
223,245
163,501
28,956
1,063,932
1,064,116
Additional amount collected separately 3
Household collection, total
4
Total amounts: including the amount collected by other collection and recovery schemes for household packaging, including packaging waste collected from small businesses.
1
Paper packaging is collected together with print products.
2
Via recycling yards (including wood) and Öko-Box.
3
Including non-packaging waste of the same material and residual waste.
4
62 FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES
PER-CAPITA AMOUNT COLLECTED FROM HOUSEHOLDS IN 2015, BY PROVINCES 1
(in kilogrammes per inhabitant and year)
Paper 2
Glass
LIGHT-WEIGHT PACKAGING
Metal
TOTAL
TOTAL 2014
Burgenland
77.4
31.0
26.8
5.1
140.3
142.0
Carinthia
71.2
26.6
13.5
3.2
114.5
114.7
Lower Austria
70.0
23.7
16.2
3.3
113.2
114.5
Upper Austria
68.6
25.5
18.3
3.3
115.7
116.5
Salzburg
57.7
31.3
19.6
2.4
111.0
110.4
Styria
77.2
29.4
23.1
4.2
133.9
137.3
Tyrol
56.1
39.9
32.5
4.9
133.4
133.6
Vorarlberg
80.7
34.9
27.8
6.1
149.5
147.3
Vienna
65.9
16.1
3.5
1.7
87.2
88.4
Austria
68.8
26.0
17.2
3.4
115.4
116.5
6.7
–
1.8
0.0
8.5
8.6
75.5
26.0
19.0
3.4
123.9
125.1
Additional amount collected separately 3
Household collection, total
4
Total amounts: including the amount collected by other collection and recovery schemes for household packaging, including packaging waste collected from small businesses.
1
Paper packaging is collected together with print products.
2
Via recycling yards (including wood) and Öko-Box.
3
Including non-packaging waste of the same material and residual waste.
4
FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES 63
SOCIAL INDICATORS
ARA GROUP EMPLOYEES
Number of employees (as at end-December 2015)
122
Women
60
Men
62
Full-time
99
Part-time
18
On leave
5
CEOs
Heads of departments
Average (including staff on leave)
117.7
Full-time equivalents (including staff on leave)
113.3
Apprentices
4
Women
1
Men
3
Managing directors
Education and further training
Work accidents
Men
2
Women
0
Men
9
Women
2
Men
3
Women
0
Average cost per capita (EUR)
469.86
0
64 FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES
VIEWS ON WASTE SORTING
Austrian consumers believe in sorting waste.
A “very good” or “good” solution
100 %
90 %
80 %
70 %
60 %
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
10 %
1995
1997
1998
1999
2000
Households sorting waste
Austrians aged 14+
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Separate collection of packaging waste
Source: IMAS (2015).
FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES 65
OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES
We are committed to constantly optimising the services we
provide to businesses and consumers and to improving our
environmental performance. To achieve this goal, we use
a comprehensive set of measures that is described in the
individual chapters of the Transparency Report.
OBJECTIVES FOR 2015
STRATEGIES AND MEASURES
RESULTS
Comply with Ministry requirements
Complete licensing procedures,
ensure compliance with requirements for collection and
recovery
Targets fulfilled by ARA, Austria Glas Recycling and ERA
Implement Packaging Classification Ordinance
(Verpackungsabgrenzungsverordnung) and Remuneration
Ordinance (Abgeltungsverordnung)
Provide information and support to customers re.
Classification Ordinance, develop further Condat Web
for shared use
Customer information provided by the sales team and
through trainings and webinars; Condat Web expanded
to include CONDAT Invoice for municipalities and all
collection and recovery schemes
Keep increase of packaging compliance rates to a
minimum
Minimise effects of Remuneration Ordinance through
internal and external efficiency measures
Half of the additional costs absorbed, average rates for
household packaging increased by no more than 6 %
Further improve service level
ARAplus to develop and offer new ARA group services
Range of services expanded beyond the scope of ARA’s
core business
Economic
66 FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVES FOR 2015
STRATEGIES AND MEASURES
RESULTS
Optimise the packaging collection system
Optimise the collection service for drink cartons
Drink cartons collected together with light-weight
packaging, Öko-Box collection discontinued except in
Vienna
Minimise/prevent littering
Continue the anti-litter initiative
Continuation of the initiative secured until 2017
Ensure optimal work-life balance
Develop and implement other family-friendly measures
Family-friendly measures continued
Use synergies
Further harmonise processes within the ARA group
Additional synergies realised: staff, insurance, IT;
closer integration of ARA group companies through service
level agreements
Environmental
Internal
FIGURES AND OBJECTIVES 67
OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES IN 2016
OBJECTIVES IN 2016
STRATEGIES AND MEASURES
Economic
Maintain market share
Continue service orientation
Keep rate increases to a minimum
Implement cost-cutting measures 2016/2017, exploit optimisation potential (household and commercial scheme,
overhead)
Expand third-party business
Develop new ARA group services with ARAplus
Implement new marketing concept
Develop and implement a marketing concept for the ARA group
Environmental
Optimise the collection and recovery of packaging
Harness potential for improvement
Prevent litter
Continue the anti-litter initiative
Optimise corporate disposal solutions
Develop bespoke solutions for businesses
Internal
Implement a new approach to staff reviews
Conduct staff reviews in all ARA group companies
Use synergies
Simplify internal processes, exploit synergies in finance and materials management
68 CONTACTS
CONTACTS
ARA GROUP
ARA SERVICE CENTRES
ARA Altstoff Recycling Austria AG
Austria Glas Recycling GmbH
Salzburg and Upper Austria
Mariahilfer Str. 123, 1062 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 599 97-0
Fax: +43 1 595 35 35
E-mail: [email protected]
www.ara.at
Obere Donaustr. 71, 1020 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 214 49 00
Fax: +43 1 214 49 08
E-mail: [email protected]
www.agr.at
Erwin Bernsteiner
Neualmer Str. 37, 5400 Hallein
Mobile: +43 664 532 71 79
Fax: +43 6245 834 82-4
E-mail: [email protected]
ARAplus GmbH
ERA Elektro Recycling Austria GmbH
Carinthia and Styria
Mariahilfer Str. 123, 1062 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 253 1001-444
Fax: +43 1 595 35 35
E-mail: [email protected]
www.araplus.at
Mariahilfer Str. 123, 1062 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 595 26 36-0
Fax: +43 1 595 26 36-599
E-mail: [email protected]
www.era-gmbh.at
Gerhard Genser
Radetzkystr. 16/5, 9020 Klagenfurt
Mobile: +43 699 12 18 28 88
Fax: +43 463 51 52 10
E-mail: [email protected]
ARES Advanced Recycling Solutions GmbH
NetMan Network Management and
IT Services GmbH
Tyrol and Vorarlberg
Mariahilfer Str. 123, 1062 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 595 33 88-0
Fax: +43 1 595 33 88-599
E-mail: [email protected]
www.ares-austria.at
Lindengasse 43/19, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 253 6000
Fax: +43 1 253 6000-888
E-mail: [email protected]
www.net-man.at
Josef Baumann
Eduard-Bodem-Gasse 5, 6026 Innsbruck
Tel.: +43 512 21 44 00-20
Mobile: +43 699 15 90 15 90
Fax: +43 512 21 44 00-50
E-mail: [email protected]
IMPRINT 69
IMPRINT
ARA REGIONAL OFFICES
PUBLISHER
Regional office Southern Austria
Altstoff Recycling Austria AG
Mariahilfer Str. 123, 1062 Vienna, Austria
E-mail: [email protected]
www.ara.at
Hans Baumgartner
Burgfried 104, 8342 Gnas
Tel.: +43 3151 85 53
Mobile:+43 664 142 04 60
Fax: +43 3151 86 65
E-mail: [email protected]
Editorial Board:
Management Board of Altstoff Recycling Austria AG
Regional office Northern Austria
Flipbook photographs:
Karl Grasfurtner
Wilhelm-Thöny-Str. 6, 5020 Salzburg
Tel.: +43 662 62 70 19
Mobile:+43 664 180 95 45
Fax: +43 662 62 70 19-8
E-mail: [email protected]
Lukas Maximilian Hüller, kulturSPIEL
Design and Layout:
veni vidi confici® | Atelier für visuelle Kommunikation
1070 Vienna, Austria
All data and information provided herein reflect the status
quo at the editorial close. This report may contain typographical errors.
Vienna, May 2016
70 GRI G4 CONTENT INDEX
GRI G4 CONTENT INDEX
GENERAL STANDARD DISCLOSURES
INDICATOR
DESCRIPTION
PAGE
STRATEGY AND ANALYSIS
INDICATOR
DESCRIPTION
PAGE
IDENTIFIED MATERIAL ASPECTS AND BOUNDARIES
G4-1
Statement from the most senior decision-maker
17
G4-17
Entities included in the consolidated financial statement
10, 53
G4-2
Key impacts, opportunities, and risks
17
G4-18
Report content and boundaries
15
G4-19
Material aspects identified
15, 25, 35,
47
ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE
G4-3
Name of the organization
1
G4-20
Material aspect boundary within the organization
47
G4-4
Primary brands, products, and services
10
G4-21
Material aspect boundary outside the organization
25, 35
G4-5
Location of organization’s headquarters
10
G4-22
Effect of restatements of information
7, 18
G4-6
Countries in which the organization has significant
operations
10
G4-23
Changes from previous reporting periods in scope and
boundaries
7, 18
G4-7
Nature of ownership and legal form
10, 11
G4-8
Markets served
25
G4-9
Scale of the organization
47, 53, 68
G4-10
Total number of employees
47
G4-11
Percentage of total employees covered by collective
bargaining agreements
48
G4-12
Description of the organization’s supply chain
15, 25, 35
G4-13
Significant changes regarding the organization’s size,
structure or ownership
7, 42
G4-14
Precautionary approach or principle
35
G4-15
Endorsement of external charters, principles, or other
initiatives
17, 20
G4-16
Memberships
20
GRI G4 CONTENT INDEX 71
SPECIFIC STANDARD DISCLOSURES
INDICATOR
DESCRIPTION
PAGE
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
INDICATOR
DESCRIPTION
PAGE
ECONOMIC
G4-24
Stakeholders engaged
15
G4-DMA
Information about the relevant management approach
15, 25
G4-25
Selection of stakeholders
15
G4-EC1
Direct economic value generated and distributed
53
G4-26
Approach to stakeholder engagement
18
G4-EC2
Risks and opportunities due to climate change
35
G4-27
Topics and concerns raised by stakeholders
15, 18
G4-EC7
Infrastructure investments
37
G4-EC8
Indirect economic impacts
25
REPORT PROFILE
G4-28
Reporting period
1
G4-29
Publication of the most recent previous report
18
G4-30
Reporting cycle
18
G4-31
Contact point for questions regarding the report
69
G4-32
GRI Content Index
70
G4-33
External assurance
17, 18
Governance structure of the organization
12, 13
GOVERNANCE
G4-34
ETHICS AND INTEGRITY
G4-56
Codes of conduct and codes of ethics
15, 17, 20
72 GRI G4 CONTENT INDEX
INDICATOR
DESCRIPTION
PAGE
ENVIRONMENTAL
INDICATOR
DESCRIPTION
PAGE
SOCIAL
G4-DMA
Information about the relevant management approach
16, 35
Labor practices and decent work
G4-EN1
Materials used
59
DMA-LA
Information about the relevant management approach
16, 48
G4-EN2
Recycling material
59
G4-LA1
47, 63
G4-EN3
Energy consumption within the organization
18, 45
Total number and rates of new employee hires and
employee turnover
G4-EN4
Energy consumption outside of the organization
45
G4-LA2
Benefits provided
48
G4-EN5
Energy intensity
18, 45
G4-LA3
Parental leave
48
G4-EN6
Reduction of energy consumption
18
G4-LA9
Average hours of training per employee
48
Reductions in energy requirements of products and
services
18
G4-LA11
Performance reviews
48
G4-LA12
Diversity of employees and governance bodies
12, 13, 63
G4-EN8
Total water withdrawal
18
G4-LA13
Ratio of salaries between women and men
48
G4-EN15
Direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 1)
45
G4-EN19
Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
45
G4-EN23
Waste
59
G4-EN27
Impact mitigation of environmental impacts of products
and services
35
G4-EN28
Products taken back and their packaging materials
59
G4-EN30
Environmental impacts of transporting goods and
materials
45
G4-EN31
Total environmental protection expenditures and
investments
53
G4-EN7
MAKING-OF: RECYCLING FLIPBOOK 73
MAKING-OF: RECYCLING FLIPBOOK
This year, a recycling flipbook created by the 2GC class of
HTL 1 Bau und Design Linz won ARA’s “Mission: Environment” school competition; the project was implemented
by the students with the help of professionals from the
kulturSpiel association.
After participating in “Let’s get creative” workshops about
packaging recycling and saving resources, the students
developed the individual scenes in cooperation with an
international team of artists led by photographer Lukas
Maximilian Hüller.
Our thanks are to the student winners of the 2GC class,
their teachers and the director of HTL 1 Bau und Design
Linz for their commitment to making this project happen. Our thanks also go to Ball Packaging Europe HandelsgesmbH, Coca-Cola HBC Austria GmbH, PET to PET
Recycling Österreich GmbH, and Pirlo GmbH for providing
us with packaging material.
Concept, project development, visual realisation and
photography: kulturSPIEL / Lukas M. Hüller
Creative partner and film: Hannes Seebacher
Creative partners and workshops: Hannes Seebacher,
Kevin Harrison, Sami Ajouri, Lukas M. Hüller
Post production photography: Georg Zumbulev, EDGE Project