Organic waste in our sights: here comes the waste warning!

Red card for incorrect waste: now being checked - and sanctioned

From today (September 15) the motto is: Organic waste under observation! All over Germany, waste disposal companies are now taking a very close look at what ends up in the brown garbage can. The wirfuerbio association, an alliance of municipal waste disposal companies, has launched a nationwide inspection campaign - with a clear message: anyone with too much plastic, aluminum foil or diapers in their organic waste will be left holding the bag.

In many cities and municipalities, waste disposal officers drive through the streets with a keen eye (or even sensors in the vehicles). If they find "contaminants", a red card is sent directly to the garbage can. No fun: if you don't re-sort, you pay a special fee - which is not uniform throughout Germany - because the waste is then disposed of as residual waste.

Why all this? It's about more than just garbage

The campaign is not a control fetish, but has a serious goal: better quality organic waste. This is because organic waste is not only turned into compost for gardens and fields - but also into biogas, i.e. energy from waste. And plastic in organic waste is a real problem: it breaks down into micro-parts, ends up in nature and may end up on our plates.

That's why there are now clear rules nationwide:

• Maximum 1 % plastic
• Maximum 3 % foreign matter (this also includes glass, cans, diapers, varnished wood, leather)
• And beware: even supposedly compostable organic plastic bags are usually not permitted. They take too long to decompose - and are therefore anything but popular with waste disposal companies.

Mistakes made out of convenience - or simply out of ignorance?

Many litter offenders do not act out of malicious intent - but out of ignorance. The classic: organic waste is collected in a plastic bag and then simply thrown completely into the organic waste garbage can. Practical - but unfortunately forbidden. Better: newspaper, paper bags or just throw it in loose.

Another problem: large apartment buildings. Many people share a garbage can there - and nobody knows who the culprit is. In the end, everyone often pays when the garbage can is left standing or is disposed of as residual waste at a high price.

This is why the current campaign is not just about monitoring, but also about raising awareness. The wirfuerbio association wants to create awareness: Only clean organic waste is truly organic.

Good will in the garbage can

Yes, waste separation is important. But what is happening here is like an educational program with a raised index finger - and a fine. Anyone who treats an organic waste garbage can like a minefield will eventually no longer want to separate waste at all. Instead of control, motivation is needed: why not bonuses for particularly clean garbage cans? Or multilingual information leaflets in apartment buildings?

Because those who separate waste do not deserve mistrust - but a little trust.