The Germans are known abroad as world champions in waste separation.
But it is not uncommon for even the most environmentally conscious to fail in front of the organic waste bin: What exactly belongs in and what doesn't?
Every year the garbage collectors in Germany collect around ten million tons of “biogenic municipal waste”, most of which comes from households.
In Corona times, it should be significantly more, because households cook a lot more than usual - and there is also more organic waste.
This rots and - if everything goes well - becomes compost for gardens and fields.
But it is not uncommon for the motor of the waste disposal machinery to stutter because it was separated incorrectly in private: Then diapers, aluminum foil or scraps of plastic bags lie pressed together between leftover food, coffee filter bags and garden waste.
Therefore, according to Bernd Jörg, Vice-Head of the Association for Biogenic Waste in the Federal Association for Secondary Raw Materials and Disposal (bvse), organic waste sometimes contains up to 15 percent foreign matter.
That leads to an expensive incineration.
Although many consumers show the best of intentions when it comes to the correct sorting of waste, it is made more complicated for them by the fact that the regulations for this are not uniform in the municipalities.
They depend in particular on the local recycling options and the treatment facilities and are determined by the local public waste disposal authorities.
“It is not so clear, for example, with meat waste.
There are differences between the municipalities, ”explains Patrick Hasenkamp, Vice President of the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU).
The Federal Environment Ministry states that the waste management office of the respective municipality (city, municipality, district) advises consumers on which waste can be put in the organic waste bin and which waste belongs in other collection systems and in the residual waste.
Bernd Jörg complains, however, that some municipalities do not inform their citizens enough about what is allowed to land in the brown or sometimes green bin.
Other municipalities, on the other hand, rely on very good information campaigns, accordingly the problem of a high proportion of contaminants in the waste batches is rather low there.
"The environmental aspect of a sorted collection of organic waste has to be transported - in a positive sense, i.e. via information campaigns, but also in a negative sense, i.e. via a waste bin."
What is allowed in the organic waste bin?
In case of doubt, the consumer should always inquire in his municipality about special rules, but according to the Federal Environment Ministry, in many municipalities waste such as bones, meat and sausage remains (common household quantities, possibly wrapped in kitchen paper / kitchen paper or newspaper, but not) are allowed in the organic waste bin Glossy paper such as magazines, magazines or paper from old wallpaper), peelings of fruit and vegetables, leftover tea, tea bags, coffee grounds, coffee filters, eggs and their shells, bread and baked goods, nut shells and all food without packaging, garden waste and sawdust.
Even dairy products such as yoghurt or quark are allowed in organic waste, but milk itself is not.
In the case of cheese, make sure that it has a natural rind.
What is absolutely not allowed in the organic waste bin?
In organic waste, flower and plant pots made of plastic, ceramic, glass, metal, disposable tableware, animal excrement, rubber or lacquered wood scraps are taboo.
There is no place to look for hygiene items, candle scraps, medication, paper, paper handkerchiefs and napkins.
Plastic bags, cleaning cloths, non-biodegradable cat litter, vacuum cleaner bags, textiles, bandages, plastic packaging, cotton wool or diapers must also remain outside.
What are the special features of the organic waste bin in Munich?
Bones and bones (raw and cooked), coffee pods, leaves infested with the chestnut leaf miner, scarifying waste, windfalls (also infested with monilia / brown rot), fango, raised bogs from the natural moor packaging (small amounts), but no paraffin, uncolored, are allowed in Munich's organic waste and untreated hair (small amounts) and small amounts of newspaper and kitchen paper to soak up moisture.
And what about the bags made of biodegradable plastics?
The Munich waste management company calls for the disposal of biowaste not to use bags made of plastic or biodegradable plastics.
These bags cannot be completely dismantled in the municipal treatment facility - the rotting time of around twelve weeks is too short for that.
“The mostly green garbage bags advertised as biodegradable in the supermarket do not decompose quickly enough in our system.
They are chopped up during processing, and the small plastic particles contaminate the compost considerably, ”explains local authority officer Kristina Frank (CSU).
The bags ultimately lower the quality of the Munich soil.
Instead, the bio-waste should be collected in a handy, small bio-bucket with a capacity of seven kilos, which can be distributed free of charge in the colors mint, green and brown during opening times at the recycling depots in the city, in the used goods department store in Hall 2 in Pasing and in the recycling mobile. "Simply line the bucket with old newspaper or kitchen paper or use an uncoated paper bag and tip it into the organic waste bin to empty," recommends Frank. Uncoated paper bags and bags are available in drug stores, for example.
