New recycling campaign in Vienna

A new campaign for cleanliness of the magistrate MA 48 focuses on cigarette butts and dog excrement. Along with the slogan “Wo samma daham?” (Where do we live?) the penalties for offences are listed again.

Environmental town councillor Ulli Sima (SPÖ) criticised that nobody would throw away cigarette butts in their flats. However, some people’s moral regarding public space leaves much to be desired – especially in winter months.

The magistrate thus appeals to people’s awareness on posters, in adverts, on city lights as well as in a cinema spot and a rap song. The latter can be listened to on the online video platform Youtube.

The slogan with pictures of cigarette butts and dog excrement were published on posters two weeks ago. Now it was time to solve the puzzle: the posters were subtitled with “Keep the streets clean like your own home”. Offenders are remembered that they need to pay a penalty of 36 Euros if they are caught red-handed.

According to the MA 48, people in Vienna threw away about 600 million cigarette butts, which is 31 percent less than in 2005. A survey, which was published today (Thurs), stated that the awareness of smokers has changed throughout the years.

While 65 percent admitted throwing their cigarette butts on the floor in 2005, only 14 percent admitted to it in 2012.

Environmental town councillor Ulli Sima said that the acceptance of punishment increased surprisingly. 80 percent of interviewed people (and 69% of smokers) advocate penalties for these offences. The control group “Waste-Watcher” had to step in 5,800 times last year regarding cigarette butts.

According to the MA 48, 47,200 bags of dog excrement are thrown into recycle bins in Vienna every day, which are 17.2 million bags per year.

Current figures on bulky waste were also presented on the press conference. For example, 68 percent less illegal cooling appliances were counted in comparison to 2008.