Emptying waste bins - How do I dispose of waste correctly?
When the waste bin is full, with the yellow bag being stretched wide, and the wastebasket overflowing - then it is time to take the waste out to the trash can. Just as there are different bins for separating waste in the kitchen, the disposal of residual waste, organic waste, paper and finally the Yellow Bag also falls into different trash cans. Glass, bulky waste or electronic waste are not disposed of in the same place or way. What should end up in which trash can and other important information regarding waste separation can be found below in a short overview.
Brown trash can
Organic waste belongs in the brown trash can. This is where recyclable waste such as fruit and vegetable leftovers are disposed of. Waste from the paper basket, residual waste and packaging have no place in the organic trash can! A small tip: Emptying the organic waste regularly, even in smaller quantities will help to counteract any unpleasant smells and maggots. Layer the bottom of the bin with newspaper or a similar material so that any accumulated moisture can be absorbed. This can help prevent maggots in both the organic waste bin and the kitchen waste bin, because maggots like to spread around food leftovers, especially in summer.
Blue trash can
This is the trash can for paper based waste. In the blue trash, you can only dispose of paper, cardboard and paperboard without a plastic coating. Other waste does not belong here. Make sure that packaging that consists of different materials besides paper is disassembled. This way, only paper based material ends up here. For example, if you have a paper envelope with a transparent plastic window, simply, remove it and then separate it properly. This is a short procedure that makes a big contribution to waste separation and protecting the environment.
Yellow Bag or yellow trash can
Waste made of plastic, metal or composite materials should be disposed of either in the Yellow Bag or in the yellow trash can. Which of the two options you use is regulated by the respective regulations of your city or municipality. The yellow trash can or Yellow Bag are home to plastic packaging, composite materials such as beverage cartons or deep-freeze packaging as well as objects made of plastic and metals like aluminium and tinplate. A small tip: Dirty packaging like yoghurt pots don’t need to be rinsed out first before emptying them into the bag. All plastic is cleaned before reuse and only then melted down.
Black trash can
This is the residual waste trash can. The waste in this container cannot be recycled, and so does not belong in one of the other three trash cans. Residual waste consists of waste products such as cotton swabs, diapers or handkerchiefs. Food leftovers or articles made of plastic do not belong here. Everything that ends up in the residual trash can is worthless. However, you can still create value from most of the remaining waste you throw away. So when disposing of it, make sure that you only throw residual waste in the black bag, otherwise, you are throwing away valuable resources!
Recycling centre
Household waste is not the only type of waste we accumulate with time. Once in a while it is also necessary to take care of the disposal of bulky waste. But where does it go? In most cities and municipalities bulky waste (especially old furniture and furnishings) must be registered for collection, sometimes for a small fee. In other areas, bulky waste can be dropped off at the recycling centre. Electronic waste, on the other hand, contains valuable raw materials that can be recycled. In many places, private collection vehicles drive through cities collecting old electrical appliances. Alternatively, electronic waste can also be dropped off at the recycling centre. Ultimately, the following applies: Whether electronic waste, building rubble, furniture or gardening waste - the disposal of all these items can vary considerably depending on the city or municipality you live in. It is therefore advisable to obtain specific information from your city or municipality before you attempt to dispose of it yourself.
Glass containers
Empty wine bottles, jars and other glass containers are not disposed of in the household waste or the residual waste bin but are disposed of in an appropriate glass container. A distinction is also made here between white, green and brown glass. To enable reuse, you should adhere to this separation. However, the lids, screw caps or corks of the respective glasses, jars and bottles do not belong with the glass containers. These should be disposed of accordingly in the yellow bin or with the residual waste.
Preparatory work for convenient disposal
If you separate the garbage immediately after it has been produced and throw it into different bins, accurate waste disposal becomes a simple and quick task. To make it easier for you to separate your waste in everyday life, HAILO provides waste bins with an integrated waste separation system. The products in the HAILO Öko range are available in various sizes with two or three separate units to choose from. From classic pedal bins and intelligent built-in waste separation systems to sensor waste bins with fully automated lid opening, HAILO offers various options tailored to your needs. Waste separation can become a ridiculously easy thing to do from the second you create waste, to the moment you get rid of your household waste by disposing of it outside in the provided bin.