Important information regarding
introduction of the organic waste bin
Why is the organic waste bin programme being introduced?
The German Circular Economy Act (Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz [KrWG]) obligates the City of
Regensburg to implement separate collection of all organic wastes. The city is introducing the organic
waste bin in order to implement this obligation. The city will be collecting food waste and kitchen
waste from households with these new waste bins.
Green waste, lawn cuttings or garden waste must still be disposed of at green waste collection
points.
Due to the separate collection of food waste and kitchen waste, energy (biogas) will be generated
and plant nutrients will be recovered as a result. This relieves the burden on the environment,
provides an important contribution towards the energy transition and is therefore ecologically
meaningful.
How will the organic waste collection be organised?
For reasons of space and cost, organic waste will be collected by means of a “bring system” starting
in October of 2017. Brown 240-litre containers will be available at a maximum 2,100 locations at
public places and in housing areas. Organic waste must be brought to the containers. The content of
organic waste bins will be processed into biogas in a fermentation plant, and the fermentation
residue will be re-composted.
Emptying + cleaning
The organic waste bins will be emptied every week by the City of Regensburg waste collection
service. There is no full service for containers in housing areas: these must either be accessible for
the vehicle or made available. The containers will be cleaned by the City of Regensburg up to three
times per year.
Handling
“Starter kits” will be distributed to facilitate collection. These kits consist of a 7-litre bin with a lid and
biodegradable plastic bags for collection or organic waste in the household and transport to the
organic waste bin. For example, food waste and kitchen waste must be placed in compostable plastic
bags, compostable paper bags or wrapped in newspaper for this purpose. In this way the organic
waste bin also remains clean. The biodegradable bags - regardless of whether made of plastic or
paper - must have this symbol:
The following will be collected
From the refrigerator
When cooking
From plates and cups
- Spoiled and mouldy
foodstuffs
- Solid cooking fats
- Meat and cold meat leftovers
as well as bones (cooked)
- Spoiled dairy products
- Vegetable and fruit peelings
- Coffee filters and teabags
- Wilted or rotten vegetables
- Eggshells
- Cooked and uncooked
leftovers
- Expired, unpacked foodstuffs
- Paper towels
- Bread and pastry leftovers
- Meat and bone remains (only
cooked)
The following do not belong in the organic waste bin
X Raw meat
X Cigarette butts
X Charcoal ash
X Nappies
X Vacuum cleaner bags
X Packaging waste
X Dog and cat excrement
X Treated wood
X Lawn cuttings
X Wood ash
X Green waste
X Residual waste
Garden composting + green waste
Green waste will be collected as always at the green waste collection points and transported to a
composting plant. Composting in one’s own garden is still possible. However, considerable amounts
of food waste and kitchen waste are not suitable for garden composting. That is why the collection of
food waste and kitchen waste in the organic waste bin is a supplement to self-composting.
Further questions
Environmental Agency, waste consulting
Marjan Akhtari; tel.: +49(0)941/507-7317; Franziskus Müller, tel.: +49(0)941/507-2311
E-mail: biotonne@regensburg.de
Homepage: www.regensburg.de/biotonne
Publisher: Umweltamt (Environmental Agency), Bruderwöhrdstraße 15b,
93055 Regensburg
Responsible: Dr. Regina Elsner
Printing: Erhardi Druck GmbH
Leibnizstr. 11
D-93055 Regensburg
Status as of September 2017