Tips and advice on the organic waste bin

the essentials in brief

• Organic waste is organic waste that is recycled in composting and bio-fermentation plants with the help of microorganisms into natural fertilizer or biogas.
• Organic waste includes leftover food, fruit bowls, garden waste and other organic substances that decompose.
• Home remedies for combating maggots in organic waste are vinegar water, table salt, pepper and oxygen bleach.

What is organic waste?

Organic waste is organic waste from the kitchen or garden. Ground living organisms, microorganisms and enzymes are active in this waste to decompose the organic substances for recycling in the natural cycle. In this way, organic waste is made more valuable humus, nutrient-rich compost or natural biogas. Biowaste is therefore a valuable resource for the environment and for plant care.

What is allowed in the organic waste - what is not?

Only biodegradable items should be disposed of in the organic waste

Biogenic waste can only be properly processed if it does not contain any inorganic foreign substances. For this reason, every household in Germany has been given the option of separating waste since 2015. Many municipalities provide separate organic bins for this, in addition to the residual waste bin. The following table gives an overview of what can and cannot be put in organic waste:

Please note: this list is not binding. What actually belongs in your organic waste primarily depends on the recycling options on site. The decisive factor is whether your municipality operates a composting plant or a bio-fermentation plant. To be really sure about the question "What goes into the organic waste?", Please contact your local waste advice center. On the page abfallberatung.de you will find the contact details for currently 563 municipalities. Furthermore, the Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) offers a practical search mask for postcodes so that you can contact your local waste adviser quickly and easily.

That is allowed in - more detailed explanations

Eggshells are a boon for the compost

In principle, all organic kitchen waste can be disposed of in a bio bin. It doesn't matter whether leftover food, meat and bones are raw or cooked. Cheese, cheese rind (natural rind) are allowed, as are dairy products of all kinds, such as yoghurt or quark. Milk, on the other hand, must not be dumped in the organic waste bin.

Citrus fruits also end up in organic waste, such as orange peel or banana peel. Eggshells, mussel shells, nutshells and everything that is left over from cleaning vegetables are also allowed. All organic garden waste including Potting soil as well as wood as cut material from trees and bushes.

Unless paper is printed in different colors, it is classified as organic waste. Newsprint, paper from the kitchen roll or egg carton as intermediate layers have the additional advantage that moisture is absorbed. For this reason, hair, feathers, wood wool, Sawdust and small animal litter can be added to organic waste without hesitation.

That must not be included - more detailed explanations

Plastic of any kind is not allowed in the organic waste bin. This also includes disposable tableware, Tupperware triangles, plastic shopping bags and food storage bags, even if they are declared as biodegradable. Because glass, metal and ceramics do not decompose, the organic waste bin is taboo for these materials. Substances that only rot after many years do not end up in the organic waste, such as carpets, clothing, bandages, leather or wallpaper. Although expired food is counted as organic waste, this does not apply to expired medication.

Newspaper with colored printing is just as little to be found in organic waste as grease-repellent baking paper. This category includes varnished, varnished or otherwise treated wood, such as chipboard or WPC decking.

Digression

Upcycling organic waste to natural fertilizer

Correct organic waste bins - 2 tips for kitchen buckets and bags

Organic waste bins shouldn't be too big and, if possible, shouldn't carry a bag or one made of paper

The bio-bin is provided by the municipality. How you collect the organic waste and put it in the bin is up to you. This is an unsavory, dirty and smelly undertaking, especially in summer. You will find it easier to collect organic waste by following the following two tips on trash cans and garbage bags:

Use a special organic rubbish bin

Investing in a special organic waste kitchen bin is worthwhile, because it saves you unpleasant side effects and simplifies emptying in the large organic waste bin outside. The following criteria are recommended:

• size: low capacity with a maximum of 5 to 10 liters to avoid long storage in the kitchen
• lid: lockable lid, ideally as a hinged lid with an integrated bio-filter
• Emptying underneath: additional, hidden handle on the underside for emptying in the organic bin

An exemplary product example at an affordable price is the organic garbage can from Obi. The container has a safety lock on the handle. The lid can only be opened when the ergonomic handle is tilted backwards. This lid is only opened to fill in the organic waste. There is a handle on the underside to empty the organic trash can without contact.

Paper bags instead of organic plastic bags

So-called “compostable” bio-plastic bags are not suitable for organic waste. The material does not decompose or only partially decomposes during the approximately three-week fermentation and final rotting process. For this reason, bio-plastic bags are laboriously sorted out by hand as disruptive material by the employees of the recycling plant. Nevertheless, bags keep getting into the composting plants and affect the quality of the organic fertilizers produced. The solution to the problem is to use paper bags to collect organic waste in the kitchen.

Dispose of organic waste correctly - how does it work?

Larger organic waste should be shredded before throwing it away

• Leftover food, meat, bones: in normal household quantities, possibly wrapped in kitchen paper or newspaper
• Fruit bowls, vegetable scraps: no whole fruit, preferably chopped
• Grain products, bread: unpackaged, cut whole loaves of bread into small pieces
• expired food: without packaging
• Coffee grounds, coffee filters, coffee pods: allow to dry beforehand
• Garden waste, potting soil: Plants, cut flowers, crumble compacted potting soil
• Wood, wood wool, sawdust, litter for small animals: Chop wood, wood wool, loosen up sawdust
• Non-color paper: use as a base cover, wrapping material, or liner

Do you still have questions about competent organic waste disposal in your head? Then please take a look at the following 5 questions and answers:

Throwing organic waste into the bin without a bag - is that possible?

Throwing organic waste loose in the bin is even recommended by environmentalists. Ideally, lay out the pre-sorting container in the kitchen with newspaper or kitchen paper and collect without a bag. Alternatively, you can use paper bags that you will later put in the large organic waste bin.

Can organic waste be placed in the residual waste?

If the organic bin bursts at the seams, you can safely use the residual waste bin for organic waste. This measure is also advisable if the organic waste bin has already reached the maximum permitted weight and there is a risk that the organic waste will not be picked up.

When is the organic waste picked up?

In most municipalities, the organic waste bin is picked up once a week

The collection dates for organic waste vary according to the season. From spring to autumn, most municipalities have a weekly collection. If there is only a small volume of organic waste in winter, it is emptied at 14-day intervals. Every year cities and municipalities publish a collection calendar with all important dates, precisely tailored to each street.

How can you dispose of organic waste yourself?

In most regions of Germany there is the option of handing in organic waste to the recycling centers yourself. The recycling yards of the multiple award-winning Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR) are open almost every day to receive organic waste. There is usually a small fee for this service.

What happens to organic waste?

Organic waste is transported to the nearest composting or bio-fermentation plant. For composting, the waste is first sorted and sieved. In the subsequent rotting phase, high temperatures accelerate the decomposition and kill off germs. Valuable humus is created during several weeks of subsequent rotting, which is then made up for the end user. A bio-fermentation plant converts bio-waste into biogas at natural gas level. Solid fermentation residues are used as compost, while liquid residues are used as liquid fertilizers in agriculture. This is exemplary, for example, in the biogas plant of the Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR)

Maggots in organic waste - what to do?

Maggots in organic waste arise when house flies, fruit flies and blowflies lay their eggs in it. Within a short time, small worms hatch in droves and the waste comes to life. Especially in the warm season it occurs in the humid and warm microclimate of the Organic bin to repulsive worm infestation. You can solve the problem with simple home remedies. That is how it goes:

• vinegar: Put 5 tablespoons of vinegar in 1 l of water, spray onto the maggot infestation with a spray bottle
• Table salt: sprinkle on the worm-contaminated organic waste
• pepper: Boil 4 tablespoons of pepper powder in 1 l of water and use as a natural spray
• Bleach: Stir 2 tablespoons of bleach (oxygen bleach) into 1 liter of hot water and spray sparingly on maggots

If you get rid of the flies in the organic waste, you can effectively prevent a maggot infestation. With a special grub lid for the organic bin, you can prevent bad blowflies from entering. A bio-filter integrated in the lid prevents an unfiltered exchange of outside and inside air. A positive side effect: due to the improved microclimate, no mold can develop in organic waste.

frequently asked Questions

How should you store organic waste until it is picked up?

Moisture and heat are poison for organic waste. Mold and maggots spread explosively under these conditions. Do not dispose of wet organic waste in the bio bin. If necessary, wrap damp food scraps with newspaper or use paper bags. Ideally, place the organic waste bin in a shady, cool location.

Why was the organic waste not picked up?

In many municipalities, municipal cleaning employees are instructed to take a look at the organic waste bin to check. If there is unauthorized residual waste in it, the bin and its contents remain. Remove the foreign matter and put the bin on the street again for the next collection date. In winter, organic waste can freeze in the bin and not be dumped. In this case, the employees attach a note to the container. Other reasons are a parked pick-up point, exceeding the maximum weight or postponement due to a public holiday.

Which bags are suitable for organic waste?

If you want to collect organic waste in bags, only paper bags come into consideration. Plastic bags are just as suitable as so-called compostable bio-plastic bags. Although the latter decompose sooner or later, this process takes far too long to be used in a composting plant or to ferment into biogas. Furthermore, biodegradable material breaks down into water, carbon dioxide and minerals and does not turn into humus.

Tips

An organic waste bin in the front yard is truly no feast for the eyes. With simple means you can keep the container from prying eyes hide and shadow at the same time. Decorative privacy protection plants form a green wall around the parking space. Ideal candidates are evergreen deciduous shrubs, such as easy-care cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and more elegant Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens). Conifers that are compatible with pruning, such as arborvitae (thuja) or yew (Taxus baccata), as well as head-high ornamental grasses such as bamboo (Fargesia murielae), are shortlisted.