Yellow bin

The yellow bin has a grey body and a yellow lid. It is available in these bin sizes with a volume of:

• 120 l (small bin)
• 240 l (large bin = standard)
• 1,100 l wheeled bin (for larger properties)

All properties have received a 240 l yellow bin as standard. This size is usually sufficient for a 4 - 5 person household.

For large housing estates with 20 or more residents and for packaging-intensive commercial properties (e.g. restaurants, hotels) we recommend either 4 x 240 l Yellow Bins or a 1,100 l roll container.

Very small households or households with very little packaging waste can apply for a 120 l yellow bin.

You do not pay a fee for the yellow bin!

The collection and recycling of sales packaging is financed by the Dual Systems through so-called licence fees, which you as a consumer have already paid when purchasing packaged products.

You only incur costs if the yellow bin has been made available for emptying with noticeable quantities of residual waste or foreign materials. The yellow bin then remains empty for the time being. It is then usually emptied at a charge during the next residual waste collection. So make sure that the yellow bin is filled correctly.

The yellow bin is emptied every four weeks. The emptying dates for your yellow bin can be found in the online waste calendar (click here).

An exception applies to the streets directly in the city centre: Here, the bins are emptied every 14 days.

Excess quantities of light packaging that do not fit into the yellow bin can be delivered to the recycling centre. Please use transparent refuse sacks for this purpose. For organisational reasons, the recycling centre accepts a maximum of 20 bags per delivery.

If the volume is regularly insufficient, you can apply for an additional bin (click here).

No. Yellow bags are not taken along when the yellow bins are emptied.

Excess quantities of sales packaging can be brought to the recycling centre in yellow or transparent sacks and disposed of there.

Residents of properties where one or more yellow bins have been provided will no longer receive yellow sacks.

Households that do not wish to use a yellow bin can apply to continue using yellow sacks. However, the filled yellow sacks must be taken to the recycling centre themselves.

Households without a yellow bin will only receive yellow sacks on presentation of a collection card. This is issued and sent to you by the ESB. The only distribution point for yellow sacks is the recycling centre.

Sales packaging made of plastic, metal and composite material such as e.g.:

• Foils, plastic bottles, cups
• Milk and beverage cartons
• Beverage and food cans
• Styrofoam containers

• Heavily soiled packaging
• Sog. Non-packaging such as plastic bowls or children's toys
• Paper and used glass
• Packaging with contents
• Residual waste and hazardous waste

• All packaging belongs loose in the yellow bin.
• All packaging should be completely empty. You do not need to rinse them.
• Only stack packaging of the same material inside each other, such as yoghurt pots.
• Milk and juice cartons can be folded up to save space before filling.
• Please separate packaging components made of a different material and put them separately in the bin. For example: remove the aluminium lid from the yoghurt pot or the cardboard wrapping from the butter carton or unscrew the plastic lid from the milk carton.
• Do not put any foreign materials (glass, paper, residual waste) in the yellow bin. If the bin is not filled properly, we leave it empty.
• Do not overfill the yellow bin. The lid must still close.

The 240 l yellow bin is considered a tried and tested standard size. Nevertheless, there are various alternatives:

• Additional yellow bin: In large households with a lot of packaging waste, the standard volume may not be sufficient. You can apply for an additional bin.
• 120 l bin: Very small households and households with very small amounts of packaging waste can request a 120 l yellow bin instead of a 240 l yellow bin.
• No yellow bin: Households that do not wish to install a yellow bin can deregister the yellow bin. Instead, they will receive yellow sacks on presentation of a collection card at the recycling centre. However, the filled yellow sacks must be delivered to the recycling centre. A collection of yellow sacks will no longer take place.

Changes from the standard size can be registered via our online form (click here).

The Duales Systeme website, "Mülltrennung wirkt" (Waste separation works), provides comprehensive further information. www. muelltrennung-wirkt.de

Well-prepared information can also be found on the website of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union: https://www.nabu.de/umwelt-und-ressourcen/abfall-und-recycling/20810.html