In Germany, waste separation is a top priority. To avoid non-recyclable waste, household waste must be separated. For this purpose there is the 3-bin system, various containers and recycling centers:
The 3 Bin System
Usually there are three different bins for ordinary household waste in the yard or basement.
| Bin | What goes inside |
|---|---|
| Compost bin (brown) | For any compostable kitchen and garden waste: Food waste (peels, food beyond its expiration date, old bread, etc.) coffee filters with ground coffee, teabags, leaves, flowers, grass, twigs and small branches, fruit small quantities of uncoated paper or sawdust from untreated wood, fish and meat in normal household quantities NO compostable plastic bags or compostable cat litter, animal excrements must be disposed of separately |
| Paper bin (blue) | Paper, cardboard, newspapers, catalogues, paper packaging NO coated paper NO toilet paper, napkins or tissues |
| Residual waste bin (grey) | For non-recyclable waste: e.g. cigarette stubs, diapers, vacuum cleaner bags, cat litter, sanitary items |
How to separate your waste correctly: Download PDF
Recycling
Everywhere in the city you will find large recycling containers in which you can dispose of the following waste
- Glass (sorted by color – white, brown and green)
- Plastics
- Metal (i.e. cans, aluminum foil)
- Old clothes and shoes
Reusable bottles have a deposit of about 15 cents and can be returned in supermarkets or beverage shops.
Recyclig centers [Wertstoffhöfe]
For larger quantities of waste or hazardous waste, there are recycling centers throughout the city. There you can hand in the following types of waste, among others:
- Electric appliances, old metal, old clothes and shoes, bulky waste and larger amounts of cardboard, paper, packaging materials, garden waste and glass.
For old batteries, most supermarkets have a collection container near the checkout.
Further information can be found at www.awm-muenchen.de
