Effects of the new collection on recycling: the potential of the Yellow Bag
Since January 1, 2025, plastic and metal packaging in Austria has been collected uniformly in the Yellow Bag or Yellow Bin. The aim of the changeover was to simplify handling for households and improve the conditions for high-quality sorting. Today, modern sorting technologies make it possible to precisely separate the different material streams and make them usable for recycling. Feedback from the public shows that The joint collection is widely accepted and perceived as practicable.
In parallel to the new joint collection, the one-way deposit for plastic drinks bottles and cans was also introduced at the start of 2025. Since then, this packaging has been collected via a separate take-back system and is no longer collected via the Yellow Bag.
Deposit system shifts collection of Packaging
This simultaneous changeover will have a visible impact on collection volumes: For the transition year 2025, Interzero Austria expects a decline of around 7% in packaging collected in the Yellow Bag or Yellow Bin. While 231,000 tons were still collected in 2024, the current projection for 2025 is 214,000 tons. The decline is a direct result of the shift of certain packaging to the deposit system, not a reduction in collection behavior.
This development is relevant for companies for two reasons: Firstly, clean, comprehensive collection improves the quality of the recyclates available. Secondly, it becomes clear that the circular economy does not end with collection. The decisive factor is what happens afterwards – in other words, how the recovered materials can be fed back into suitable applications. This is precisely where Interzero comes in: with a holistic approach from collection and sorting to specific applications in new products.
An international case study from the cosmetics industry shows just how efficient and versatile recycled plasticsfrom the Yellow Bag can be today. Together with Interzero, La Biosthétique has developed packaging made from post-consumer recyclate that meets the highest quality and safety requirements. The example illustrates the potential of the correct use of collected materials and how the circular economy can work in practice.
Read more about the topic here
“La Biosthétique and Interzero make PCR socially acceptable”
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About Interzero:
Interzero is one of the leading service providers for closing product, material and logistics loops and an innovation leader in plastics recycling with the largest sorting capacity in Europe. Under the guiding principle of “zero waste solutions”, the company supports over 80,000 customers across Europe in the responsible handling of recyclable materials, helping them to improve their own sustainability performance and conserve primary resources. With around 2,000 employees, the company generates a turnover of over one billion euros (2021). According to Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Interzero’s recycling activities saved 1.04 million tons of greenhouse gases and 8.09 million tons of primary raw materials compared to primary production in 2024 alone. As a pioneer for the circular economy, Interzero is the winner of the German Sustainability Award 2024 and the corresponding special prize in the transformation field “Resources”. Further information can be found at www.interzero.at .
Find out more in our current brochure on ” resources SAVED by recycling “
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