One Page Summary

Zero Waste Austria is building since June 2015 a popular network of young people and start-ups encouraging reuse, reduce, recycle. Focusing on shopping behaviour but also a business culture focusing on circular economy. ZWA founded the association in September 2017 (which is an official member of Zero Waste Europe) and started a membership program in December 2017 including a Zero Waste Card, with which members (currently 30 members) receive discounts (currently at 25 shops) when shopping at local and sustainable shops that offer resource friendly and waste reducing shopping.

Now it is time to scale the membership program and implement new projects to encourage conscious consumption in Vienna. For 2018 is it planned to scale the membership program to have a budget to raise more awareness and bring value to the card members, both shops and consumers. Additionally it is planned to bring the International Movement "REFILL your city" to Vienna in cooperation with Das Gramm, Wiener Wasser and the International Refill Movement. It is already implemented in the Zero Waste Shop in Graz "Das Gramm". Refill does not only encourage the reuse of water bottles, it also helps small shops and restaurants to attract people to their location.

As a joint action with Zero Waste Europe it is planned to call out the challenge: #nothing new challenge in 2018. To encourage shopping of reused products, renting instead of buying, sharing culture and promoting upcycling and repair. 

Zero Waste Europe provides a lot of tools for possible campaigns and projects and the membership program from this prize would be a great opportunity for Zero Waste Austria to strengthen the already existing network of Zero Waste Austria with other organisations for more professional cooperations, to bring Zero Waste Austria to the next level, to long-term collaborate with the waste management of Austria, the city of Vienna and other players that could together reach the SDG #12 through innovative market-driven approaches. Zero Waste Austria chose to be an NGO, because it was identified that it is the best organization to serve the Zero Waste Start-ups in Vienna, be authentic in building a community, that is non-profit driven and benefitting from the network, the experience and tools from Zero Waste Europe. 

It is now the perfect time to receive a boost for the Zero Waste Membership program, as it is crucial to have a strong start with the Zero Waste Card and lift Zero Waste Austria to the next level of professionalism and sustainability.