Because of incorrect waste separation – now waste is also becoming more expensive
Waste disposal is a tough job – on top of that, many people don’t sort their garbage properly
Source: pa / dpa / dpa-ZB / Jan Woitas
The garbage volume in Germany has increased due to the pandemic. At the same time, people are becoming more and more careless when it comes to separating waste. 40 percent of the municipalities therefore now want to increase the fees.
Dhe pandemic leads to significantly higher amounts of waste in Germany. For the first year with Corona, i.e. 2020, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports 39.6 million tons of household waste. That is four percent or 1.6 million tons more than in the previous year.
As a result, the per capita volume increased from 457 to 476 kilograms – and thus by 19 kilograms per person. According to statistics, the increase from 2018 to 2019 was two kilograms. The year before, the amount had actually decreased.
Source: WORLD infographic
The largest item is the residual waste from the black or gray bin with 160 kilograms per person. Recyclable materials follow closely behind, including glass, paper / cardboard / cardboard and packaging made of plastic or metal. In third place, at 128 kilograms, is organic waste. In truth, this amount is probably much higher. But in a number of municipalities, organic waste still ends up in the residual waste – also because there are no bio bins there, despite an obligation that has been in place since 2015.
According to experts, it still happens that people dispose of their biowaste in plastic packaging or plastic bags in the organic waste bin. These end up in composting or in biogas plants and ultimately in the fertilizer on fields, where they end up as microplastics for hundreds of years.
Source: WORLD infographic
Most of the remaining 36 kilograms of the total volume are bulky waste. There is also other waste such as batteries or paint.
In 2021, the trend towards more garbage in the pandemic appears to have continued. Although there are no current Destatis figures yet, according to a member survey by the Federal Association of German Waste Management, Water and Raw Materials Management (BDE), the amount is likely to have increased again.
“The shift in waste streams into the private sector is becoming more permanent,” says BDE President Peter Kurth. Most of the working life still takes place in the home office, visits to restaurants and cafes are rare. The bottom line is that the industry expects an increase of six percent for paper, cardboard and cardboard, not least due to the heavily used online trade. The amount of waste glass is increasing even more at seven percent.
Source: WORLD infographic
The BDE appeals to consumers to sort their household waste carefully. “That is the prerequisite for the best possible recycling,” says Kurth. In the pandemic, separation will be more careless. This makes it more difficult for industry to turn old packaging into new packaging of equal value and to create a circular economy that deserves the name.
With the turn of the year, higher recycling rates apply. Private and municipal waste disposal companies are threatening to leave bins with obvious mistakes. In addition, the number of providers who collect household waste has been falling for years. The Bundeskartellamt therefore warns of rising prices.
“The competition in the collection and transport of waste has decreased in all areas in recent years. For consumers, this means: It can be expensive, “says the President of the Authority, Andreas Mundt, summarizing the results of years of research.
Source: WORLD infographic
A number of municipalities are already announcing fee increases, as a study by the consulting company EY Germany has just shown. According to this, 40 percent of the cities and municipalities surveyed want to increase the taxes for garbage collection. “Within the scope of the legal possibilities,” explains Federal Cartel Office chief Mundt, “we will therefore keep a close eye on market developments and intervene if necessary.”
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