Waste sorting in Germany: which types exist — and what goes where?
Germany separates waste into clearly defined categories. Sorting correctly keeps materials in the recycling loop — saving raw materials, energy and CO₂. Here is an overview of all waste types with the essentials for each category.
Glass
Bottles and jars, separated by colour (clear/brown/green). Remove lids; rinsing is not necessary. NOT allowed: drinking glasses, window glass, ceramics, crystal — they have different melting points and ruin the recycling batch.
💡 Glass can be recycled endlessly — a bottle can be remelted an infinite number of times.
Clothes & shoes
Wearable, clean clothing goes into containers or charity shops; tie shoes together in pairs. Since 2025, damaged textiles also belong in the collection — the EU textile directive requires separate collection.
💡 Only about half of collected clothing is wearable; the rest becomes cleaning rags or insulation.
Paper & cardboard
Newspapers, boxes, writing paper, books. Fold boxes flat! NOT allowed: coated paper (baking paper, thermal receipts), heavily soiled pizza boxes, beverage cartons.
💡 Paper fibres survive 5–7 recycling cycles before they become too short.
Lightweight packaging (yellow bag/bin)
Plastic packaging, cans, beverage cartons, aluminium foil. "Spoon-clean" is enough — no rinsing needed. Do not stack items inside each other; it disturbs the sorting machines.
💡 What counts is the packaging property: a toothbrush is NOT packaging and belongs in residual waste.
Find a drop-off point for Lightweight packaging (yellow bag/bin) →
Metal & scrap
Pots, tools, bicycle frames, metal shelves — anything made of metal that is not packaging is accepted as scrap at the recycling center.
💡 Metal recycling saves up to 95% of the energy compared to primary production (aluminium).
Electrical appliances
Anything with a plug, cable or battery: from toasters to washing machines. Drop-off at recycling centers is free (ElektroG). Large retailers and supermarkets over 800 m² must take back small devices.
💡 E-waste contains gold, silver, copper and rare earths — a tonne of mobile phones contains more gold than a tonne of gold ore.
Batteries & rechargeables
NEVER in household waste — lithium batteries are a fire hazard! Take-back: every shop that sells batteries, plus recycling centers and hazardous waste collections.
💡 Lithium batteries cause several thousand fires per year in German waste facilities.
Light bulbs & lamps
Energy-saving lamps and LEDs go to collection points (they contain electronics or mercury). Classic incandescent and halogen bulbs may go into residual waste.
💡 An energy-saving lamp contains up to 5 mg of mercury — never put it in the glass container!
Green cuttings & garden waste
Branches, leaves, grass cuttings — to the recycling center or the organic bin (small amounts). Illegal dumping in the woods is no trivial offence: it over-acidifies soils and carries fines.
💡 Green cuttings become compost and biogas — a perfect cycle.
Organic waste
Food scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, spoiled food (without packaging!). NOT allowed: plastic bags — not even "compostable" ones; they rot too slowly.
💡 An organic bin generates electricity: one tonne of organic waste yields biogas for about 70 kWh.
Wood
Furniture wood, boards, pallets go to the recycling center. Treated wood (painted, impregnated) is collected separately and used for energy.
💡 Waste wood becomes chipboard or climate-neutral energy.
Tyres
Dealers take back old tyres when you buy new ones; otherwise the recycling center accepts them (usually for a fee). Never burn or dump them.
💡 Old tyres become impact-protection flooring, sports grounds and cement fuel.
Hazardous waste
Paints, varnishes, oils, chemicals, spray cans with residue: to the hazardous waste collection or the mobile collection vehicle. Never down the drain or into residual waste!
💡 One litre of waste oil can contaminate a million litres of groundwater.
Bulky waste
Furniture, mattresses, carpets — anything that does not fit in the bin: bring it to the recycling center or book the municipal collection (often free 1–2× per year). Give away usable items first or donate them!
💡 Putting bulky waste on the street without an appointment is illegal dumping and carries a fine.
Construction rubble
Mineral leftovers from building and renovating: bricks, concrete, tiles, mortar, natural stone, sanitary ceramics. Recycling centers or rubble landfills accept small amounts (usually for a fee). NOT allowed: plasterboard and aerated concrete (separate acceptance), asbestos-containing material (hazardous waste — never break it up yourself!).
💡 Cleanly separated rubble becomes recycled aggregate for road building — construction waste is by far Germany's largest waste stream.
Residual waste
Everything that cannot be recycled: hygiene products, vacuum cleaner bags, broken crockery, cigarette butts. Rule of thumb: residual waste is the last option, not the most convenient one.
💡 Whatever ends up in residual waste is incinerated — the recyclables in it are lost forever.
Frequently asked questions about waste sorting
Do I have to rinse yoghurt pots?
No — "spoon-clean" is enough. Sorting plants cope with residue; rinsing wastes warm water.
Where does the pizza box go?
Heavily greased boxes go into residual waste; separate clean lids and put them in the paper bin.
What happens if I sort incorrectly?
Wrongly filled bins may be left unemptied or collected as residual waste at a charge. Repeated illegal disposal carries fines — up to four figures depending on the federal state.
Where does renovation rubble go?
Small amounts (bricks, tiles, concrete) go to the recycling center or rubble landfill — usually for a small fee. Keep plasterboard separate; if asbestos is suspected (buildings before 1993), never break it up yourself — ask the hazardous waste collection.
Are "compostable" plastic bags allowed?
In most municipalities: no. They rot too slowly in composting plants and are sorted out. Use paper bags or newspaper instead.