Waste Separation Myths – Dispelled

is very easy to recycle. But to ensure that the aluminum actually gets to the recycling plant, it must be disposed of in the yellow bin or recycling bin.

– just like other organic waste – can be disposed of as organic waste and later go to good use as biogas and organic compost.

such as bricks, plaster, pipes and even the old toilet bowl are considered construction waste and must be taken to the recycling center.

can be challenging for waste separators: Can the envelope be treated as paper waste despite the plastic insert? Yes, it can, just like the bags with windows you get from the bakery. Modern plants are able to separate the plastic from the paper. If you want to go the extra mile, however, you can of course also remove the window.

must be disposed of separately. Most larger electronics stores have collection points for empty ink and toner cartridges.

protect staff in hospitals and medical practices, but are also used for cleaning, cooking and in retail. Regardless of whether they are made of nitrile, vinyl, latex or another material: used disposable gloves belong in residual waste. If they are contaminated with bacteria or other germs, you should dispose of the gloves in a sealed plastic bag.

go in residual waste. If a pane or mirror breaks, you often find yourself wondering what you should do with the pile of fragments. Where should they go once you’ve managed to safely gather up all the broken pieces? The glass container on the street corner seems like the obvious solution, but this isn’t actually correct. Window glass, just like empty roll-on deodorant bottles, broken mirrors or old drinking glasses, belongs in residual waste (small quantities) or should be taken to the recycling center (larger quantities). Because not all glass is the same: Different types have different melting points, so not all glass is suitable for recycling.

as well as eggshells, belong in organic waste, just like all organic materials.

must be disposed of along with residual waste or (for larger quantities) at the recycling center.

also come to the end of their life at some point or another.  But conveniently, drugstores have their own collection points.

are often made of plastic, while the lid is made of aluminum. Both belong in the recycling bin. However, if you want to do it right, separate the two parts before you put them in. The materials are sorted at the waste sorting plant and each type is then processed separately. It is also best to remove the cardboard sleeve, if there is one, and dispose of it as waste paper. This makes it easier for the scanner at the plant to detect the plastic. And no, you don’t have to rinse out the pot! 

can be put in the organic waste bin in small quantities. And for bigger quantities? Some municipal authorities provide special leaf bins or bags in the fall.

can go in the paper bin if the box is unused or clean. However, if there is cheese, tomato or olive oil residue stuck to it, it needs to go in the residual waste bin.

(in larger quantities) should never be poured down the drain, but must be placed in residual waste. It is best to dispose of it in a sealed container or bag so that it does not stick to the bin.

such as torn T-shirts, jeans or bags that really can no longer be used are disposed of as residual waste, as are worn-out shoes.

are made of cellulose, but once they have been used they should not be thrown away along with organic waste or waste paper, but with residual waste.

are packaging and go in the yellow bin or recycling bin. But hold on, they feel like paper on the outside, don’t they? That’s right, because most Tetrapaks for milk, juice or even pureed tomatoes are made of what we would call composite material. Recycling plants can separate and recycle them.

should be put in with residual waste.

that are flat should never be disposed of in residual waste due to the harmful substances they contain. It is better to collect them at home first and once you have collected a few, take them to the nearest collection point, which can be found in almost every drugstore.

despite supposedly being 100 percent compostable, should not be put in the organic waste bin. This is because even bioplastics do not break down completely, and disposal companies do not want the remaining fragments in their composting plants.

i.e., empty aluminum and plastic cans, can be disposed of in the yellow bin or yellow bag. However, if there is still some product left inside the cans, this must be treated as a harmful substance and taken to a recycling center. Glass roll-on deodorant bottles belong in residual waste, not the glass container!

in most stores are made of cardboard, even if they feel different to a cardboard box, and therefore belong in waste paper.

belongs in the organic waste bin. It used to be prohibited to throw leftover cooked food into the organic waste bin. Today, however, most municipal composting plants can recycle leftover food without any problems. The temperatures during the decomposition process are now so high that the salt content no longer has any impact and even animal and fish bones can be broken down without any problems. If the waste regulations still state that cooked food cannot be disposed of in this way, it is worth checking with the municipal waste advisory service. Often the regulations have simply not been updated yet.

come in a whole range of different varieties, but regardless of whether they were used to clean a surface, remove make-up or wipe a baby’s bum – wet wipes must be disposed of as residual waste!

can go in the waste paper bin. However, coated cardboard such as Tetrapacks should be put in the yellow bin and soiled paper in residual waste.

(that has been used as packaging) goes in the glass container. But be careful: Always sort the glass by color and throw it into the appropriate container so that it can be recycled properly! Even if it seems as though things work differently: The truck that empties the glass containers also has three compartments, so it’s by no means the case that everything is thrown in together when it is collected. This ensures that the glass is sorted when it is sent to the recycling plant.

By the way: White and brown glass reacts much more sensitively to other colors than green glass. So if the bottle is blue or red, always put it in the container for green glass.

such as pads, tampons, wet wipes and diapers belong in residual waste.

can go in organic waste. If it is soiled, it belongs in the residual waste bin.

such as expired drops, tablets and suppositories are disposed of differently depending on which region you live in. In some municipal authority areas, medication can and should be handed in to pharmacies, while others provide a harmful substance collection vehicle. However, some medication can also be disposed of as residual waste and the packaging can be put in the respective bin for packaging waste. You can find out how things work in your region by visiting arzneimittelentsorgung.de 

is generally considered a cosmetic and should be disposed of as residual waste.

as well as filled vacuum cleaner bags, belong in residual waste. 

can be disposed of along with household waste. However, if there are also stones, chunks of plaster or even items such as sinks or pipes, this is considered construction waste and must be disposed of at a recycling center.

can be carefully separated. So do the crumbled tea leaves belong in the organic waste bin or on the compost pile, the little empty bag in residual waste, the tab in waste paper and the waxed string and staples in the yellow bin? You can do it this way if you want to. However, it is also fine to just add the used tea bag to your residual waste or (without the metal clip) to the organic waste bin.

breaks down a little more slowly due to its thick peel, but there’s no reason why it can’t be disposed of in the organic waste bin.