What goes in the organic waste? Which container is correct? How can you fight maggots in organic waste? This guide will not leave you alone with important questions about professional waste disposal. Read practical and comprehensible answers here. How to properly dispose of organic waste.

Pretty much everything that is biodegradable can go in the organic waste bin

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. What is organic waste?
  3. What is allowed in?
  4. Proper organic waste containers
  5. Dispose of organic waste properly
  6. Maggots in organic waste
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. the essentials in brief

    • Organic waste is organic waste that is recycled into natural fertilizer or biogas in composting and biofermentation plants with the help of microorganisms.
    • Organic waste includes leftover food, fruit peels, garden waste and other organic matter that decomposes.
    • Household remedies for fighting 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. Soil-based creatures, microorganisms and enzymes are active in this waste to decompose the organic substances for recycling in the natural cycle. In this way, valuable humus, nutrient-rich compost or natural biogas are produced from organic waste. Organic waste is therefore a valuable resource for the environment and for plant care.

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

    Only biodegradable materials should be disposed of in the organic waste

    Biogenic waste can only be properly processed if there are no inorganic foreign substances in it. For this reason, every household in Germany has been able to separate waste since 2015. Many municipalities provide separate organic bins for this purpose, in addition to the residual waste bin. The following table gives an overview of what is allowed in the organic waste and what is not:

    May in Can't go in
    leftovers plastic
    meat/bone dog waste/cat litter
    fruit bowls glass, metal, ceramics
    leftover vegetables sticker
    cereal products/bread ash
    expired groceries Hygiene products
    Coffee grounds/coffee filters/coffee pods cigarette butts
    tea bags/tea grounds cleaning rags
    garden waste vacuum cleaner bags
    potting soil street sweepings
    untreated wood treated wood
    kitchen paper/newspaper colored paper
    hair, feathers wallpapers
    small animal litter textiles
    wood wool, sawdust carpeted floor

    Please note: This list is not binding. What actually belongs in your organic waste depends primarily on the recycling options on site. The decisive factor is whether your municipality operates a composting plant or a biofermentation plant. To be really sure about the question "What goes in the organic waste?", please contact your local waste advice service. You can find the contact details for currently 563 municipalities on the website Abfallberatung.de. Furthermore, the German Nature Conservation Union (NABU) offers a practical search mask based on postcodes so that you can contact your local waste advice service quickly and easily.

    This is allowed in - further explanations

    Egg shells 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 leftovers, meat and bones are raw or cooked. Cheese, cheese rind (natural rind) are also allowed, as are all kinds of milk products, such as yoghurt or quark. Milk, on the other hand, must not be dumped in the bio bin.

    Citrus fruits also end up in the organic waste, such as orange peels or banana peels. Egg shells, mussel shells, nut shells and anything left over from cleaning vegetables are also permitted. All organic garden waste, including potting soil and wood cuttings from trees and bushes, can go in the bio bin.

    Unless paper is printed in bright colors, it belongs to organic waste. Newspaper, paper from kitchen roll or egg carton as intermediate layers have the additional advantage that moisture is absorbed. For this reason, hair, feathers, wood shavings, sawdust and small animal litter can also be thrown in with organic waste without hesitation.

    This is not allowed in - further explanations

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

    Brightly printed newsprint has just as little place in organic waste as fat-resistant baking paper. Glazed, varnished or otherwise treated wood, such as chipboard wood or WPC decking boards, belongs to this category.

    digression

    Upcycle organic waste into natural fertilizer

    Informed hobby gardeners do not simply throw organic waste from the kitchen and garden into the organic waste bin. On the self-made compost, fruit peels, leftover vegetables, plant leaves and uncooked leftovers are transformed into valuable natural fertilizer. Balcony gardeners reserve a partially shaded spot for a worm farm. In it, compost worms are constantly busy producing nutritious vermicompost and nutritious vermicompost from kitchen waste for magnificent pot and box plants.

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

    Organic waste bins should not be too big and if possible should not have a bag or one made of paper

    The organic 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 the summer. By following these two tips on bins and bin bags, you will find it easier to collect organic waste:

    Use special organic waste bin

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

    • size: small 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 integrated bio-filter
    • emptying underneath: additional, hidden handle on the underside for emptying in the bio-bin

    An exemplary product example at a reasonable price is the organic waste bin from Obi. The container has a safety locking device on the handle. The lid can only be opened when you tilt the ergonomic carrying handle backwards. This lid is only opened to fill in the organic waste. There is a handle on the underside to empty the organic waste bin without contacting the contents.

    Paper bags instead of organic plastic bags

    So-called "compostable" organic plastic bags are not suitable for organic waste. The material does not decompose or decomposes only to a limited extent during the approximately three-week fermentation and post-rotting period. For this reason, bio-plastic bags are sorted out in advance by the employees of the recycling plant as contaminants, which are laborious and manual. Nevertheless, bags keep getting into the composting plants and impairing the quality of the organic fertilizer produced. The solution to the problem is using paper bags to collect organic waste in the kitchen.

    tips

    The organic waste bin is a paradise for raccoons. The clever omnivores need only seconds to open the lid, loot the contents and leave a smelly mess in their wake. With a lockable bin lid, you thwart the furry rabble. A municipal bio-bin can easily be retrofitted with the useful lid.

    Dispose of organic waste correctly - how does that work?

    Larger organic waste should be shredded before throwing away

    The separation of organic waste and residual waste is the first step on the way to the best possible disposal in harmony with nature. The second step depends on how you treat organic waste. The following tips clarify how to do it correctly for the permitted components in the table above:

    • Food leftovers, meat, bones: in normal household quantities, wrapped in kitchen paper or newspaper if necessary
    • Fruit peels, leftover vegetables: 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: pick apart plants, cut flowers, crumble compacted potting soil
    • Wood, wood wool, sawdust, small animal litter: chop wood, loosen wood wool, sawdust
    • Paper without color printing: use as a base cover, wrapping material or interleaving

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

    Throw organic waste in the bin without a bag - is that possible?

    Throwing organic waste loose in the bin is even recommended by environmentalists. Ideally, you should line 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 later put in the large organic bin.

    Can organic waste go in the residual waste?

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

    When will the organic waste be picked up?

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

    The collection dates for organic waste vary depending on the season. From spring to autumn there is a weekly collection in most municipalities. If there is only a small volume of organic waste in winter, it is emptied at intervals of 14 days. 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 accept 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 biodigestion facility. For composting, the waste is first pre-sorted and sieved. In the following rotting phase, high temperatures ensure accelerated decomposition and killing of germs. Valuable humus is produced during a post-rotting period of several weeks, which is then packaged for the end consumer. A biofermentation plant converts biowaste into biogas at the level of natural gas. Solid fermentation residues are used as compost, liquid residues are used as liquid fertilizer in agriculture. This happens, for example, in the biogas plant of the Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR)

    Maggots in organic waste - what to do?

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

    • vinegar: Add 5 tablespoons of vinegar to 1 liter of water and spray onto the maggot infestation with a spray bottle
    • table salt: sprinkle on the worm-infested organic waste
    • pepper: Boil 4 tablespoons of pepper powder in 1 liter of water and use as a natural spray
    • bleach: Mix 2 tablespoons of bleach (oxygen bleach) in 1L 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 maggot lid for the organic bin, you can prevent nasty bluebottles from gaining access. A bio-filter integrated in the lid prevents an unfiltered exchange of outside and inside air. A positive side effect: as a result of the improved microclimate, no mold can develop in the organic waste.

    frequently asked Questions

    How should organic waste be stored until collection?

    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 compost bin. If necessary, wrap damp leftovers in newspaper or use paper bags. Ideally, place the bio-waste bin in a shady, cool location.

    Why wasn't the organic waste picked up?

    In many municipalities, city cleaning employees are instructed to take a look in the organic 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 back on the street for the next collection date. In winter, organic waste can freeze in the bin and not be tipped out. In this case, the employees attach a note to the container. Other reasons are a parked collection point, exceeding the maximum weight or postponement of the date due to a holiday.

    Which bags are suitable for organic waste?

    If you want to collect organic waste in bags, only paper bags can be considered. Plastic bags are just as suitable as so-called compostable organic plastic bags. Although the latter decompose sooner or later, this process takes far too long to be used in a composting plant or for fermentation 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 really not a feast for the eyes. With simple means you can hide the location of the container from prying eyes and at the same time shade it. Decorative privacy plants form a green wall around the pitch. Ideal candidates are evergreen deciduous shrubs, such as easy-care cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and elegant boxwood (Buxus sempervirens). Pruning-compatible conifers, such as arborvitae (Thuja) or yew (Taxus baccata) and ornamental grasses that are as tall as a man, such as bamboo (Fargesia murielae), are shortlisted.

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