In case that you could not bring yourself to adopt the zero waste lifestyle after our last blog article about pointless packaging and rather want to stick to recycling, that is no problem, of course! Nonetheless, not even this is really simple, as in spite of the masses of packaging waste, still many people are unsure about how to deal with it properly. We will dispel all the myths around the recycling bin!

May only things which are equipped with the Green Dot be thrown into the recycling bin?

This myth derives from the 90ies, when enterprises were forced to withdraw their packaging waste. Alternatively, the Green Dot handled this for them, wherefore only the garbage of participating companies that carried the sigil could be disposed in the recycling bin. Otherwise, the concerns had to offer their own refund possibilities. Since 2009 however, everyone has to take part in the dual waste disposal system. As a consequence, you are allowed to throw every packaging which is handed out in the supermarket into the recycling bin.  

Does this mean that you can dispose every plastic article in the recycling bin?

Unfortunately, it is not that simple. It is not about recycling as much of your household rubbish as possible, why used plastic toothbrushes have no place in the recycling bin. Actually, only packaging waste should be thrown in there. Nevertheless, in some communes exceptions are possible, which are yet clearly marked on the dustbin.

Do you have to wash out empty packings before the disposal?

In many cases, people mistakenly believe that they have to free their plastic waste completely from all leftovers and wash it up completely. De facto, all the garbage is cleaned in the course of reprocessing anyway, which does not mean that you should dispose your half-full yoghurt pot in the recycling bin, however. It is necessary to keep the golden mean: it is completely sufficient if your empty pot is scraped clean.

May you also put glass and paper into the yellow bag for recycling?

Even if card boxes and glass bottles are also getting recycled, they do belong to a separate container and not to the recycling bin. Nonetheless, laminated paper wrappings are frequently causing confusion. Our tip: everything that can be torn apart without problems, should be disposed with the scrap paper, the rest can be thrown into the yellow bag.

Does a wrongly filled recycling bin really get penalized with a fine?

There is no legal basis for this persistent rumour. But even if you do not have to reckon with a fine, the disposal company can nonetheless refuse to pick up the inappropriately filled sack. For instance, it seems suspicious, if the garbage bag weighs uncommonly much because glass bottles are disposed with it. In such cases, you will often find a note with the friendly suggestion to re-sort your waste.  

Is it worth the effort? Does not most of the garbage get burnt anyway?

In fact, only seven percent of packaging waste is directly sent to waste incineration plants. On the contrary, more than fifty percent of the plastic rubbish can be used as combustible in manufactures, as no contaminants arise by burning it. And entire forty percent of the disposed things from the recycling bin are substantially preserved.

We hope that we could clear up all the stubborn rumours about the yellow bag and finally bring light into the darkness of all the wrong recycling habits.