The city of Vienna pays particular attention to the sustainable use of resources and food when buying goods and services.

Every year, the city of Vienna purchases a variety of products, goods and services of all kinds with a value of around five billion euros. This is around five times the total amount that all Vienna’s households spend on home furnishings, food, clothing, cleaning and cars every year.

Minimal packaging, phosphate and formaldehyde-free products, no PVC, no chlorine bleach, no aggressive detergents, no tropical wood – these are just some of the requirements of Vienna’s environmentally friendly procurement.

The use of organic products in the food purchasing of public institutions is therefore increasing. Events are increasingly organised according to ecological criteria. The city of Vienna has consistently pursued this strategy since 1998.

The biggest success

• Over 50 percent of the food used in Vienna’s nurseries is organic.  (As at 10/2012)
• The “Ecological printing paper” project has had a major positive impact on the environmentally friendly paper market over the years.
• Disinfectant manufacturers are now extremely interested in being included in the “Viennese Database for Disinfectants (WIDES Database)”.
• Thanks to “ÖkoKauf Wien”, maximum attention is now paid to environmental protection when designing interior spaces.

International Awards

As a result of this and due to its structured approach, “ÖkoKauf Wien” received two international awards in 2011.

1. European Public Sector Award 2011
2. Dubai International Award for Best Practices 2011

Contact

Georg Patak

MA 22 – Environmental Protecttion

E-Mail: georg.patak@wien.gv.at

Website: Ökokauf Wien (in German)