Please note that this page is just an excerpt from our German website, containing the most important information about separating waste in Germany. The full content can be found on the German version by clicking either here or on the language switch in the upper right corner.
Separating waste correctly: Why is it important?
Packaging can only be recycled when they are disposed of correctly. That’s why you should make sure you separate packaging and residual waste correctly.
Recycling helps protect valuable resources and the climate. Only if you separate and dispose of your residual waste correctly, the raw materials used in the packaging can be recycled. Used packaging should never be disposed of in residual waste, because then it will be burned and may no longer be recycled.
Too much packaging still ends up in the residual waste and therefore lost for the recycling process. Conversely, residual waste that incorrectly ends up in the Yellow Bin, Yellow Bag, paper bin or glass containers makes it more difficult or even impossible to recycle the packaging that has been correctly collected there.
Separation charts: What goes in which bin?
Our separation charts will help you separate your waste correctly.
The yellow bag / yellow bin is only for:
used and completely empty packaging which is not made of paper, cardboard, carton or glass. Please separate different packaging components. The items do not need to be rinsed.
For example
- Aluminium, tin and plastic lids
- Pharmaceutical blister packs
- Butter wrapper
- Buttermilk and yoghurt pots
- Carrier bags and fruit and vegetable bags made of plastic
- Ice cream packaging
- Fill material from shipping packages made of plastic, such as bubble wrap or foamed material
- Food cans
- Crown corks
- Plastic food containers and foil
- Ready meal trays
- Milk and beverage cartons
- Muesli bar wrappers
- Pasta bags
- Cleaning agent bottles
- Squeezable pouches or refill bags, such as for washing powder, liquid soap or fruit purée
- Mustard tubes
- Shampoo bottles
- Aerosol cans
- Soup and sauce bags
- Pet food tins and other pet food containers
- Toothpaste tubes
etc.
The yellow bag / yellow bin is not for:
Packaging made of paper, cardboard, carton or glass, and all waste that is not packaging.
For example
- Old clothes
- Batteries (including rechargeable ones)
- Container glass
- Tinware
- CDs and floppy disks
- Ink cartridges
- Disposable razors
- Electrical appliances
- Leftover food
- Folding boxes
- Lighters
- Rolls of film, DVDs and video cassettes
- Light bulbs and energy-saving bulbs
- Rubber
- Wood wool
- Sanitary products
- Cat litter
- Ceramic products
- Children’s toys
- Transparent plastic sleeves
- Pens
- Packaging not completely emptied
- Paper tissues
- Paper and cardboard
- Plasters, bandaging materials
- Porcelain china
- Residual and organic waste
- Shoes
- Tights
- Polystyrene from insulation panels
- Wallpaper
- Nappies
- Toothbrushes
- Cigarette butts
etc
The glass containers are for:
completely empty glass packaging only. The glass must be sorted by colour (white, brown and green) and disposed of in the designated containers. All other colours, such as blue glass, are disposed of with the green glass. Lids do not have to be taken off.
For example
- all glass bottles for which no returnable deposit is paid, such as bottles for wine, sparkling wine, spirits, vinegar, oil, milk, fruit and vegetable juices and fruit drinks
- Small glass bottles, such as perfume bottles
- Jam, gherkin and mustard jars
- Other packaging glass for fruit, sauces, soups, vegetables
etc.
The glass containers are not for:
waste, including glass waste, that is not packaging.
For example
- Oven dishes
- Car lamps
- Car windows
- Batteries
- Organic and residual waste
- Lead glass
- Flower pots
- Vases
- Ceramic hobs
- Flat glass
- Beverage cartons
- Glass ceramics
- Glass hobs
- Light bulbs
- Heat-resistant glass
- Insulating glass
- Coffee pots
- Glass fireplace screens and oven door glass
- Ceramics
- Fluorescent tubes
- Microwave dishes
- Monitor glass
- China tableware
- Products and packaging parts made of plastic
- Mirror glass
- Syringes
- Stoneware bottles
- Plates, cups
- Drinking glasses
etc.
The paper bin is for:
all packaging made of paper, cardboard or carton without food residue. Packaging should be cut into small pieces or folded.
For example
For example: Packaging made of paper, cardboard or carton:
- Paper bags for baked goods, meat and fruit
- Egg boxes
- Folding boxes of any shape
- Filling material from shipping packages made of paper, cardboard and carton
- Flour and sugar bags
- Pasta boxes
- Paper carrier bags
- Cardboard wrapping of yoghurt pots etc.
- Pizza boxes
- Chocolate boxes
Non-packaging made of paper, cardboard or carton:
- Letters
- Envelopes
- Books
- Wrapping paper
- Catalogues
- Postcards
- Exercise books
- Advertising brochures
- Newspapers
- Magazines
etc.
The paper bin is not for:
waste and packaging not made of paper, cardboard or carton.
For example
- Batteries
- Organic waste
- Butter wrappers
- Tins and cans
- Photos
- Glass
- Wooden boxes
- Wood wool
- Sales receipts and bank statements (thermal paper)
- Plastic
- Kitchen waste
- Kitchen roll and paper tissue
- Bubble padding
- Metals
- Milk or beverage cartons
- Soiled or full packages
- Soup and sauce bags
- Speciality paper such as baking paper, thermal paper, photo paper
- Polystyrene
- Wallpaper
- Wine and champagne corks
etc.
Tips and tricks for separating waste in Germany
1. Separating packing and residual waste
2. Packaging is collected in different bins depending on their material:
3. Separate different packaging materials.
Different packaging parts should be separated from each other. The individual parts are collected in the designated bin based on material. This is the only way sorting systems can recognise different materials, sort them from each other, and recycle them.
4. Residual waste can only go in the residual-waste bin.
Residual waste should never be disposed of in collection bins intended for used packaging (Yellow Bin/Yellow Bag, paper bin, glass container). This makes it significantly harder – and sometimes even impossible – to sort and recycle the collected packaging.
Collection bins and sites
Some waste needs to be taken to public collection sites. For other waste, shops & businesses have appropriate collection bins where you can dispose of it free of charge.
Correctly disposing of lights
LED lights, energy-saving lights and fairy lights can be taken to collection sites at places such as hardware stores, specialist electrical stores or the local civic-waste collection point. Only lightbulbs and halogen lights can be disposed of in residual-waste bins.
Disposing of single-use masks, single-use gloves and syringes
Used face masks cannot go in the Yellow Bin or Yellow Bag. They could pose a risk to others. Please seal them in a plastic bag and dispose of them in the residual waste. The same applies to single-use gloves. Single-use syringes are another potential hazard – particularly with needles. They are an injury risk to people coming into contact with the waste. So you should always collect syringes in a re-sealable container, such as a glass or plastic bottle, and dispose of them safely in the residual waste. They are definitely not allowed in the Yellow Bin or Yellow Bag.
Empty (rechargeable) batteries
Empty (rechargeable) batteries can be taken to your nearest collection site. Free battery disposal facilities are available at places such as:
- Retailers and sellers (e.g. collection boxes at chemist shops, supermarkets, specialist electrical stores, petrol stations)
- Civic-waste collection points, recycling depots
- Citizens’ centres (Bürgerbüros)
- Household hazardous waste-collection vehicles
Correctly disposing of electrical appliances
Specialist retailers such as electrical stores take back defective electrical appliances such as mobile phones, batteries and ink cartridges/printer toners. They arrange for these to be properly disposed of. Retailers need to take back smaller electrical appliances, even if no new appliance is bought from them. Larger electrical appliances can be returned free of charge when purchasing a new, equivalent appliance.
Other waste
Bulk rubbish, electrical scrap, textiles, timber, wallpaper or tyres need to be taken to your local recycling depot or civic-waste collection point. Ask your local waste consultant where your nearest civic-waste collection point is.
There may be differences between regions. If you have any questions, your regional waste consultant will be able to assist. Please not that search results will be in German only. Use your post code to find out your consultant’s contact details:
Collecting, sorting, recycling: The dual systems
Germany’s dual systems organise the nationwide collection, sorting and recycling of used sales packaging for industry and trade. Currently, ten dual systems inform consumers about the correct collection of used packaging with their initiative "Mülltrennung wirkt" ("waste separation works"). The dual systems operate based on Germany’s packaging act. The aim of the packaging act is to prevent or reduce the impact of packaging waste on the environment. It also establishes the duties that retailers, manufacturers and consumers need to fulfil in order to achieve this goal: packaging waste must be avoided, reused or handed in for recycling.