This project aims at identifying the materials of key relevance as to their mass presence in the national economics of Austria (except for air and water). For this purpose, their mass flows and stocks within production, supply and consumption are determined. Also, waste amounts generated within resource extraction, production and consumption are roughly estimated.
Summary
The waste management goals „optimal resource utilisation“ and „protection of humans and environment“ are also economical and socio-political goals. Since material turnover within the waste management is relatively small compared to the material turnover within the entire national economics, the effect of waste management on achieving the goals of the Waste Management Act occurs thus to a respectively limited extent. Knowledge of the key materials turnover in the national economics of Austria is therefore inevitable for determining the effect range of waste management.
Finally, material flow analyses of the following most relevant materials are performed, allowing for describing the material metabolism of Austria: “sand, gravel and natural stone”, “iron ore, iron / steel”, “fossil oil”, “coal”‚ “vegetable and animal products” “wood and paper”. The “Materials Metabolism of Austria” system is defined by the economical sectors. Each materials balance is accompanied by depicting the relevant processes and by their balancing. The processes of resource extraction are defined. Wastewater and solid waste disposal, as well as consumption, being in fact part of the service sector, are separately presented. Since not all waste flows are directed to disposal prescribed in particular by the Waste Management Act, an additional process “other utilisation and disposal” is introduced.
For determining materials flows and stocks, data are employed from the statistics, the Federal Waste Management Plan (BAWP), the industry, the literature, and also own estimations are applied. Waste management data originate to a largest extent from the BAWP and estimations.
The materials metabolism of Austria is characterised by an annual consumption of 144 Mio. t, a stock in the infrastructure amounting to ca. 3,800 Mio. t and an annual increase of this stock of ca. 95 Mio. t. These are faced by waste flows of 50 Mio. t.
