So I’ve just got here and read on how waste should be collected separately. What is unclear for me, and can’t find any relevant info on, is what bags to use for colecting the waste.
For plastic (yellow bins), is there a particular type of garbage bag that I should use so I can throw away the whole bag including contenta, or do I use whatever bag and just dump the contents and then reuse the bag?
There are paper bags sold (for ex. at Lidl). Can I use those for paper waste and throw away the whole bag + content, or do I collect them in whatever way and just dump the contents?
For compost / bio mass, what should I do? There are “compostable” bags. can I use those, or the paper ones and just throw the whole bag, or do I have to dump the contents?
For the black bin, is it ok to throw the whole bag with its contents?
Idk if it matters, but I’m Bayern
It’s different on a communal level. For plastics there ist either a yellow bin or the yellow bag which can be requested by the local Abfallwirtschaftsverband. If you have the yellow bin, just place plastics in there loosely. You could use any plastic bag then.
For paper there is typically a blue bin. All paper goes in there. Whether loosely or in any paper bag die not matter, but it has to be paper only.
Black bin “Restmüll” also loose, or any kind of bag you like to use.
Compost: typically “compostible” bags are not suited, paperbags are ideal. The compostible bags in most cases take too long to rot and have to be separated manually in the compostation facility.
What is funny to me is that compostable plastic bags always decomposed on me even before I intended to discard the bag… Which is the main reason I stopped using them. I use a regular plastic bag and then chuck the bag into the restmüll, after I put its contents into the brown bin
Although I don’t like them, you’re often allowed to use compostible bags, as long as they’re certified according to DIN EN 13432. They also need to be printed with a “germling pattern” to be recognizable. Usually they’re called “DIN-Plus Bioabfall-Beutel”.
They’re said to decompose after a max. of 6 weeks.
Thank you very much for the info!
Also in Munich they have neither yellow bins nor bags but those common container isles around the city as you have for glass in most places.
So for plastic we use plastic bags and throw them away, but you can also use a trash bin and reuse it.
For paper we have a big cardboard box that we reuse until it falls apart.
For compost we have a little plastic bin.
For the black bin you can use plastic bags.
I hope that helps! I think there are no differences in other German states.
Vielen dank!
There are differences in the colors of the bins between states.
not just between states, it can be by city. but generally black/gray is ‘trash’, something green or brown ist compostable, blue is paper and yellow is plastic.
Kassel has green paper
This unreasonably annoys me. Is it DIN konform? TÜV certified?? Why, Kassel, why???
😂
😱
No bags in the BioMüll!
Paper Bags are completly fine
Yes, but they’re often pointless in BioMüll containers as they get soaked, so I find it’s easier to say no bags at all…
You can get gelbe Säcke most likely in your Rathaus.
Most people use trash bags, which you can buy at the supermarket, for Restmüll. But the Müllabfuhr doesn’t care if the trash in the can is inside of bags or not.
You can use compostable bags for Biomüll, but most people use a plastic container which they carry to the can and empty it there. Since you can’t keep compost in your house for more than one or two days a small-ish container is all you need.
Which city are you in?
There are yellow bags (gelber sacke) that you can use, but I’ve only ever seen them in use where there’s not a separate yellow bin. When I lived in Düsseldorf, we could put the plastics and aluminium recycling in a clear, recyclable bag and place it in the yellow bin.
For the biomüll, you can see what’s accepted by the company that does your pickup (mine in HSK is Lobbe and they have a list of what they will accept in each type of waste container). Mine will be very cross if you use compostable bags. We can use paper bags and those are fine to go in the green/bio container.
Hope this helps a bit!
