This One Fact About Austria Will Change Your Life

As if it’s not enough of an accolade to be the country whose capital city boasts the highest quality of life in the world, Austria, along with its neighbour Germany, is also among the greenest of the all the world’s nations, recycling more than any other country. Around 63% of all waste is moved from landfills in Austria, which is a figure to be proud of when compared with statistics from much of the rest of the world. The UK recycles 39% of its waste, Italy 26%, the USA 34% and Australia just 30%.

Champions of Green

With pollution levels currently such a critical topic, and with concerns over global warming taking paramount place, having an effective environmental protection system should be a top priority. Since 2003, Austria has been part of the Aaarhus Convention, which encourages member states to share their environmental data, making them fully transparent to the public and consequently improving their recycling record.

Austria is also one of the leading countries in the world in other aspects of environmental protection, such as taking great care to maintain their organic farming industry, ensuring responsible forestry and ensuring excellent water quality.

An Innate Interest of Country People

The deputy of the Austrian Institute for Sustainability summed up why Austria has such a deep concern for its sustainability levels, boldly stating, ‘When it comes to the environment, Austrians are top of Europe and top of the world. Being green has always come naturally to countrymen and we are the pioneers of Europe. We have a broad traditional knowledge of natural topics that comes from a conservative way of life – the farmers, hunters and forest men – that has been handed down from generation to generation. We know how to read the landscapes. We know about the cycle of life, to listen to the wind and to pay attention to the seasons and the way the herbs grow, the birds, and the mushrooms.’