Waste manager – Appointment

General information

In companies with more than 100 employees a technically qualified waste manager [Abfallbeauftragter] must be appointed.

The appointment or termination/cancellation of the waste management officer must be immediately notified to the authority electronically via the register on edm.gv.at (→ BMK)^{German text}.

These notifications are made by entering the waste manager in the master data of the respective company as a contact person, indicating the corresponding "role", or by removing the "role" of the respective contact person (in case of cancellation).

Evidence of the waste manager's consent to his/her appointment and evidence of his/her professional qualifications must be kept at the enterprise for up to one year after the waste manager's appointment has been terminated and must be presented to the authority upon request. 

The waste manager is tasked with providing advice and information relating to all issues concerning waste management in business operation. She/He must:

• Monitor compliance with the waste regulations applicable to the company and the notices based thereupon and inform the owner of the company of any observations, in particular of any observed deficiencies, without delay
• Work towards a useful implementation of the waste regulations applicable to the company
• Advise the owner of the company in waste management issues (including the waste management aspects of procurement)
• Present the costs of waste treatment and waste material yields to the owner of the company within the scope of preparing or updating the waste management plan

The appointment of a waste manager does not affect the responsibility of the company owner to ensure compliance with the waste regulations and notices based thereupon. This means that the waste manager cannot be held responsible for the compliance with waste regulations.

Enterprises affected

Companies with more than 100 employees

Requirements

The waste manager must meet certain minimum requirements.

General requirements (minimum requirements):

• Full capacity to act
• Clear view of all waste-related processes at the company
• Relevant technical or legal know-how (either from technical training or from several years of practical work in the relevant field)

Knowledge (minimum requirements):

• Basic knowledge of
  • fundamentals of natural science and waste management
  • basic chemical-biological and ecological interrelations
  • the situation/objectives of waste management in Austria
  • the Umweltinformationsgesetz
  • the Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfungsgesetz
  • the Umweltmanagementgesetz
  • environmental criminal law, environmental liability
• Profound knowledge about
  • the Abfallwirtschaftsgesetz (Waste Management Act)
  • the ordinances relevant to the activity of the company relating to the Abfallwirtschaftsgesetz
  • the EU Waste Shipment Regulation
  • the Altlastensanierungsgesetz 
  • provisions from the relevant provincial waste management laws and ordinances that are of relevance
• Recommended know-how in
  • opportunities concerning the subsidisation of environmental investments
  • public relations work, staff motivation
  • technical standards in connection with the establishment and operation of temporary storage facilities
  • technical and legal requirements concerning the packaging and the transport of waste(legislation on hazardous goods)

Deadlines

Any appointment or dismissal of waste managers has to be reported electronically without delay via the register on edm.gv.at (→ BMK)^{German text}.

Competent authority

The waste management authority which is locally in charge of the company site:

• The District Authority^{German text} (Bezirkshauptmannschaft)
• In Chartered Cities^{German text}: the Municipal Administration^{German text} (Magistrat)
  • In Vienna: the Municipal Department → MA 22^{German text} (Vienna Department of Environmental Protection)

Required documents

The company must be registered on edm.gv.at (→ BMK)^{German text}. If the company is not yet registered, it must submit a registration application (online). The waste manager is entered by the company in the company's master data as a contact person with the corresponding role ("waste manager"). Any additional information provided by the company can be entered in comment fields.

The following documents must be kept in the company for up to one year after the cancellation and must be presented to the authority upon request:

• Consent from the waste manager
• Information about the technical qualification of the waste manager

Costs and fees

Costs depend on various ordinances on levies and fees. It is recommendable to gather information from the competent authority beforehand.

Further information

• Information leaflet "Abfallbeauftragter" (→ BMK)^{German text}
• → WIFI^{German text}
• → BFI^{German text}

Legal bases

Section 11 of the Abfallwirtschaftsgesetz (AWG)

Link to form

To register or log in to the register: edm.gv.at (→ BMK)^{German text}