What can be disposed of with bulky waste?
What belongs in bulky waste? There are no uniform rules nationwide because the local authorities organize disposal as citizen-friendly and cost-effective as possible according to their respective circumstances. It is best to ask your waste disposal company.
Can small plastic items also go in the residual waste?
Packaging goes in the yellow bag, everything else in the residual waste - according to the law. However, because this is difficult to understand, many municipal waste disposal companies have now come to an agreement with the Green Dot operators and introduced garbage cans that can now be used for all plastic waste.
What about paints and thinners?
Like household chemicals, they belong in hazardous waste. Under no circumstances should they be disposed of in waste water or household waste, but should be taken to a recycling center. In some places, there are also mobile hazardous waste collection vehicles.
Are there alternatives to disposing of bulky waste?
But yes. All resources are finite. You can take old items to second-hand stores, donate them or give them away. Many waste disposal companies run local second-hand stores, recycling workshops, often in cooperation with social institutions, or give-away markets on the Internet.
What does the new Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act say?
It applies to most household appliances and electronics, including energy-saving light bulbs, which are not allowed to be disposed of with residual waste. In principle, old appliances can be returned to recycling centers, but more recently also to retailers.
Can I return an old appliance to any store?
The take-back obligation applies to all electrical and electronics retailers with a sales area of at least 400 square meters, regardless of whether they are stores or mail order companies. However, some smaller distributors also take back old electrical appliances.
Does this also include PC accessories such as toner?
In the case of toner and printer cartridges, it depends on the type. Reusable ones should also be returned to the cycle and not end up in the bin. Otherwise, they are a recyclable material - and may also fall under the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act if they require electricity to operate. If in doubt, ask your waste disposal company.
Bulky waste disposal: self-service prohibited
The bulky waste has been requested to be collected. Now it's on the street. Tempting: The old table is really good. But taking items from the bulky waste is theft. This can result in fines and even imprisonment! Bulky waste that has been put out for collection belongs to the local authority. This is because a lot of it, such as scrap metal, generates cash when recycled, which can be used to keep waste disposal charges low. Refrigerators are particularly problematic because of the CFC-containing coolant. A damaged refrigerator can contaminate 1,000 liters of water.