FAQs

Waste and Recycling

Waste Management

What is waste, and what obligations do waste owners have?

Waste, as defined by the Waste Management Act 2002 (AWG 2002), refers to movable items that the waste owner wishes to dispose of or has disposed of, or whose treatment as waste is necessary in the public interest (cf. § 1 (3) AWG 2002). Waste owners have several obligations, such as proper collection and treatment of waste, reporting and record-keeping obligations, and the obligation to hand over waste to authorized waste collectors and handlers.

What are the goals of waste management?

The primary goal, following the principles of precaution and sustainability, is to avoid harmful effects on humans, animals, and nature, reduce emissions, and conserve resources. Based on the requirement to prevent and recycle waste, the waste hierarchy must be adhered to: Waste prevention - Preparation for reuse - Material recycling - Other types of recycling - Disposal.

What is meant by operational waste management?

Operational waste management, as part of strategic corporate management, deals with the generation, collection, prevention, recycling, and disposal of waste within a company. Through targeted influence, optimization of resource utilization, reduction of environmental impacts, compliance with legal requirements, and cost reduction are sought. For companies with environmental management systems, operational waste management is continuously optimized as part of the continuous improvement process. The AWG 2002 requires companies with a certain number of employees to, for example, create and update a waste management concept or appoint a waste officer (see § 10 and § 11 AWG 2002).

What documentation obligations apply to my operational waste?

Austrian companies and companies from other countries with their headquarters or a branch in Austria must maintain separate, ongoing records for each calendar year for their generated waste:
  • Waste type: if possible, with assignment of a key number from the Waste Catalog Ordinance
  • Waste quantity: stated in kilograms (kg)
  • Waste origin: business of the waste producer and/or process where the waste is generated
  • Waste destination: information about the recipient of the waste, including date and location of handover, or information about in-house waste treatment
Record-keeping can be done, for example, as an organized collection of invoices or delivery notes, showing the necessary details – preferably digitally. For hazardous waste, accompanying documents must be collected separately. For more detailed information, see, for example, the regulations in the AWG 2002 or in the Waste Verification Regulation 2012.

In addition, companies with more than 20 employees are required to create a waste management concept (WMC) and update it at least every 7 years. It includes information about the business location, a waste-relevant representation of the business (input materials and generated waste per business area), organizational measures to comply with waste management legal regulations, and an estimation of future developments.

Balance-sheet-relevant waste collectors and handlers have more detailed recording and reporting obligations (see, e.g., Waste Balance Regulation).

Circular Economy

What does the circular economy mean, and what benefits does it offer?

The circular economy is a model for optimizing resource usage, aiming to keep materials and products in circulation for as long as possible. Through practices such as reuse, sharing models, or repair, the lifecycles of products are extended, and valuable secondary raw materials are made available through recycling. This ensures a sustainable availability of resources. A functioning circular economy produces less waste and maximizes the utilization of existing resources, thereby contributing to environmental and climate protection and countering the exploitation of our finite resources on the planet.

How can I implement circular economy in my company?

Circular economy-oriented measures can be established in any business and contribute to keeping raw materials or products in circulation for as long as possible. Circular business practices encompass various aspects, such as product design, the use of secondary raw materials, sustainable business models, reuse within the company, renting/sharing instead of purchasing new items, in-house recycling, or collaborations with disposal partners who demonstrably channel business waste for material recycling. All these measures lead to reduced resource consumption, less waste, and lower emissions.

Wastics

Company

Who is behind Wastics, and what is the company's vision?

Wastics is powered by a dynamic and versatile team, collaborating with experienced partners to pursue the vision of a sustainable waste and resource management. Innovative software solutions aim to assist companies in transitioning from conventional waste management to a circular economy. More information about our team can be found here.

Is Wastics reputable?

Yes, Wastics is reputable! Wastics GmbH is an official company registered in Austria (see Imprint). Behind Wastics is an ambitious team with extensive experience in the waste industry, which you can get to know here. You can also gain confidence in us by checking our LinkedIn profiles or exploring the expertise of our collaborating partners. If you have any questions or would like to speak with us directly, here are the contact options: here.

Platform

Overview

What is the Wastics platform?

It is a digital platform with various services related to operational waste and resource management: digital document management, legally compliant online waste management concept, and a bidding platform for the disposal or recycling of waste make your daily operations in your business easier.

Who can use the platform?

The platform is designed for B2B services. As waste producers, all companies or institutions that want to dispose of their waste can register. As waste disposers, only officially approved waste collectors and handlers (with permission according to § 24a AWG 2002) can use the platform due to a multi-stage validation process.

Link to FAQs for Waste Producers

Link to FAQs for Waste Disposers

Registration

How can I register?

The platform is still in an early phase and is continuously evolving. Therefore, we are currently looking for users with whom we can go through the registration and all other inputs together to test and improve the user-friendliness of our services. Request a personal demo of our platform here, and we will assist you in the initial steps.

For further questions, you can find contact options here.

Is registration free of charge?

No, registration is not chargeable. Costs for waste producers only arise when subscribing to disposal services. Waste disposers incur charges only when entering into binding disposal contracts through the Wastics platform. For more details on this topic, refer to Legal or Financial

Solutions

Are additional functionalities planned?

To provide our registered users with the best service available on the market, we are exploring integrations and partnerships that advance our marketplace. We will continuously evolve the platform, introducing many new functionalities and expanding existing ones. There are already plenty of ideas! Are you interested in influencing the direction of our next steps? Reach out with specific requests or ideas to our customer service at hello@wastics.eu.

Does Wastics also offer waste consulting for my business?

Yes! A company can approach us for consultation on optimizing operational waste management. We would be happy to discuss specific conditions with you during an initial meeting. You can find our contact details here.

Request a Demo

Can I request a demo?

The platform is still in an early phase and is continuously evolving. Therefore, we are currently going through the registration and all other inputs together with our users to test and improve the user-friendliness of our services. Request a personal demo of our platform here, and we will assist you in the initial steps.

For further questions, you can find contact options here.

Waste Producer

Information

Where can I find general information for waste producers?

Information for you as a waste producer can be found on our website at the following link: https://www.wastics.eu/services/producer

What are waste producers?

A waste producer is any person whose activities generate waste. Wastics targets all businesses as well as public and private institutions that want to legally and cost-effectively dispose of their generated waste, especially through recycling.

Is it possible to choose a preferred pickup date for the waste?

Yes! You can either request a one-time pickup of your waste or specify your desired pickup intervals, including the day of the week and the pickup time frame.

Benefits

Why should I use Wastics, even though I already have waste disposal services for my waste?

Regularly comparing disposal offers can mean financial savings for you of up to 30%! Additionally, through bids, you can also get better offers for your recyclables. Through offer comparisons, you gain comprehensive transparency - both regarding the costs and the treatment processes of your waste (recycling or disposal).

What advantage does Wastics offer for waste producers?

Cost optimization, legal certainty, transparency! With Wastics, waste-producing companies find suitable recycling solutions, improve their environmental performance, and keep materials in the loop. Completely digital, on a single platform, and guaranteed to be legally compliant.

Waste Disposer

Information

Where can I find general information for waste disposers?

Information for you as a waste collector or waste handler can be found on our website at the following link: https://www.wastics.eu/services/disposer

Which waste disposers can register with Wastics?

All waste collectors and waste handlers with a permit according to § 24a AWG 2002 can register. After registration, they gain access to all disposal tenders on the platform that match their scope of approval.

Benefits

What benefits do waste disposers have by using Wastics?

Disposal service providers receive all requests in real-time that match their scope of approval. Therefore, they can quickly create new offers and win new orders and customers.

Why should I continue using Wastics after successfully completing a transaction through the platform?

The recycling market is very dynamic. A provider may not repeatedly have the desired waste in the required quantities. Wastics offers you the flexibility to continuously find offers and demands to meet your specific requirements and expand your business opportunities.

Environmental Protection and Sustainability

Effects

How does Wastics contribute to environmental protection and sustainable business practices?

The sustainability effect arises through cooperative collaboration, as Wastics' solution connects all stakeholders along the value chain. Companies can find suitable recycling solutions for their waste, transforming them into valuable secondary raw materials in line with the circular economy. This circular economy approach keeps materials in circulation longer, consuming fewer primary resources, contributing to environmental protection, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

How can I improve my company's environmental performance using Wastics?

With Wastics, waste producers can find suitable disposal services to fully utilize the potential of their waste. Offers can be compared based on disposal methods such as recycling or disposal. Wastics' digital waste management concept identifies numerous improvement measures in operations that positively impact the company's environmental performance. Waste disposers can receive more offers through the transparency of their sustainable treatment processes. The digital process helps coordinate and control disposal trips, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

How can Wastics contribute to improving my ESG rating?

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) requires comprehensive and sustainable efforts in companies. Wastics supports the transparency of your sustainability efforts and helps you implement environmentally friendly practices in your company quickly and easily. Wastics offers an innovative solution to improve your waste management, counteract resource scarcity, establish a circular economy, and reduce your company's environmental impact. All these activities also contribute to climate protection and establish responsible practices in the company.

Financial

Prices

How much does using the platform cost for companies looking to dispose of their waste?

Subscription prices vary depending on the company size and the number of locations where you want to use Wastics' solution. Schedule a meeting to discuss your conditions, and we will provide you with a quote afterward.

How much does using the platform cost for disposal service providers?

Upon successful business transactions, disposal service providers are required to pay a commission for the matchmaking service, calculated as a fixed percentage of the invoice amount. The specific commission rate is provided in advance when submitting a binding offer.

Payment

How does payment work after I have concluded a contract for waste disposal?

An invoice from the waste disposal company will be sent to the billing address or email address provided by the service recipient during registration.

Who pays for disposal and logistics costs?

Disposal and logistics costs are agreed upon between the disposal service provider and the waste-generating company. These costs are indicated by the service provider in each offer and are visible to the bidding companies on the platform.

Terms and Conditions (AGBs)

Where can I find Wastics' General Terms and Conditions (AGB)?

You can find our General Terms and Conditions (AGBs) during the registration process on our platform.

Which AGBs apply when I use the platform?

When using the functionalities on the platform, Wastics' AGBs regarding platform usage apply. If a contract is concluded between a company (waste producer) and a waste disposer, the AGBs agreed upon bilaterally in the contractual relationship between these two parties apply.

Subscription (Abo)

Who can subscribe to a plan (Abo)?

The subscription (Abo) model is intended for companies that want to dispose of their waste through the Wastics platform.

How can I subscribe to a plan (Abo)?

After successful registration on the platform, a subscription for waste disposal services can be obtained.

How much does a subscription cost for companies looking to dispose of their waste?

How and when can I cancel a subscription (Abo)?

The subscription contract can be terminated after one year with three months' notice to the end of the month via email. The termination must be sent to our email address office@wastics.eu in a timely manner. The termination is considered timely if it is sent to us on the last day of the notice period. If you do not cancel your subscription in a timely manner, it will automatically renew for another year.

Data and Security

Data Protection

Where can I find Wastics' privacy policy?

All information regarding data protection can be found on the website or at this link: https://www.wastics.eu/privacy-policy

How do I know that the provider or buyer is real?

To ensure secure transactions between buyers and sellers, Wastics conducts a verification and authentication process for all platform users during registration before any transactions can be concluded. Further information can also be found in the FAQ "Who can use the platform?".

Not finding the answer? Feel free to contact us