Waste management

Nearly every house in Dortmund has four different waste bins to collect the waste. It is very important to separate the waste correctly into the right bin. If you do not, the waste collector may refuse to collect the waste or they charge an additional fee. Apart from the bins belonging to the house, there are additional containers for waste glass and paper. You can use these containers as well. Should the paper bin be full at a certain point, just use these containers for your paper.

How do I sort waste in Dortmund?

• The brown or (green) bin is for organic waste like kitchen or garden waste:
  For example bread and food leftovers, egg shells, filter bags of coffee (set), fruit and vegetables, cooked fish and meat leftovers, spoiled foods, tree and shrub cuttings, leaves and foliage, flowers, grass cuttings and windfall fruit.
   
• The grey bin is for residual waste:
  For example home dirt, vacuum cleaner bags, ash and charcoal (cold), broken glass, candle stumps (remains), cigarette butts, medicines, cotton wadding, sanitary products like nappies and plasters, bulbs.
   
• The yellow bin is for recyclable material:
  For example yogurt-, cream- and quark tubs, milk and juice containers, packaging (e.g. fruits, vegetables, sausages and meat), tins, silver paper, foils, tubes, plastic bags, screw caps, deep-freeze packaging, plastics and metals, Electrical appliances like cameras.
   
• The blue bin is for paper and cardboard:
  For example newspapers and magazines, catalogues, brochures, envelopes, notes, folding boxes, cartons (taken apart), egg cartons made from card- board, clean paper bags.

Further information can be found in this flyer of the "EDG Entsorgung Dortmund GmbH".