Cold wave is rolling: In which garbage do used handkerchiefs actually belong?
Created: 12/20/2022, 7:30 p.m
By: Andrea Stettner
All of Germany is groaning under the wave of colds that are causing millions of runny noses.
But what to do with the used handkerchiefs?
When it gets colder in winter, millions of handkerchiefs end up in the bin again.
When it comes to disposal, however, many are not at all sure how to properly dispose of the wipes: Do they belong in the residual waste, organic waste or with the waste paper?
As is so often the case, there is no one right answer when it comes to waste separation.
Residual waste or paper waste – where do used handkerchiefs belong?
© Daniel Ingold/Imago
Used handkerchiefs belong in the residual waste
Handkerchiefs are made of cellulose, which can actually go in the paper bin.
However, anyone who has blown their nose with it must dispose of it in the residual waste.
According to
Utopia
, this is primarily for hygienic reasons.
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Used handkerchiefs are contaminated with viruses and other pathogens.
In the recycling process for waste paper and organic waste, workers could become infected with them.
Not because they pick them up, but because the pathogens multiply happily under the favorable conditions in the garbage.
Residual waste, on the other hand, is immediately incinerated.
The viruses then no longer pose a threat.
You forget these spots all the time when cleaning
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Unused handkerchiefs can go in the waste paper
If paper handkerchiefs were not used for blowing one's nose, they can be thrown in the waste paper without hesitation.
Some waste companies also allow disposal in the organic waste bin.
If you are unsure, it is best to check with your local waste disposal company.
Never flush tissues down the toilet
By the way: According to Ökotest, you should never dispose of handkerchiefs in the toilet.
The wipes do not decompose as well as normal toilet paper - in the worst case, the toilet threatens to become clogged.
Then a plunger or cling film will help to unclog the toilet.