How to sort trash and recycle in Germany

Germans take recycling very seriously. It's hard to sort your trash correctly, but this guide will help.

Types of recycling bins

Standard recycling bins

• 🔵 Blue bin (blaue Tonne)
  For paper and cardboard. You can't use plastic bags for the blue bin¹. Flatten cardboard boxes before you recycle them.
  
• 🟡 Yellow or orange bin (Wertstofftonne)
  For plastic and metal containers, and containers with the Grüner Punkt logo¹.
  
• 🟤 Brown bin (Biomüll)
  For biodegradable goods. It's used to make biogas and compost¹. Use paper bags for the brown bin. Don't use plastic or biodegradable bags^{1, 2, 3}.
  
• ⚫ Grey bin (Restmüll)
  Everything else. Things that you can't sell, donate or recycle.
• ♻️ Glass recycling bins (Glasiglus)
  For glass containers that don't have a deposit (Pfand). In Berlin, you don't need to clean glass containers¹. If your building does not have glass recycling bins, you can find them in your neighbourhood. There are 3 bins:
  • The Braunglas bin for brown glass
  • The Grunglas bin for green, red and blue glass¹
  • The Weißglas bin for transparent glass

Other types of recycling bins

• Bottle return machines (Pfandautomat)
  For containers with a deposit (Pfand). They are in most supermarkets, usually near the door.
  
• Battery recycling bins
  For used batteries. They are in most supermarkets, electronics stores and hardware stores, usually near the door. Rossmann and dm also recycle batteries.
  
• Electronics recycling bins
  For used electronics. They are in most supermarkets, electronics stores¹ and hardware stores, usually near the door. Use this map to find them.

Recycling centres

Recycling centres accept all sorts of materials. This is where you get rid of big items like construction materials, trees, furniture, appliances, carpets and mattresses.

List of recycling centres in Berlin - Berliner Stadtreinigung

Containers and packaging

Paper and cardboard

• 🔵 Paper and cardboard ➞ blue bin
  This includes egg cartons, bread bags, envelopes (even with plastic windows^{1, 2}). newspapers and magazines. Flatten boxes before you put them in the bin¹.
• 🟡 Grüner Punkt logo or Tetra Pak logo ➞ yellow bin
• 🟡 Paper + plastic packaging ➞ yellow bin
  This includes bread bags with plastic windows¹, but not envelopes with plastic windows¹.
• 🟡 Milk cartons ➞ yellow bin^{1, 2, 3}
• 🟡 Tetra Pak ➞ yellow bin
• 🟤 Paper towels, tissues ➞ brown bin
  
• ⚫ Coated, waxed and thermal paper ➞ grey bin
  This includes receipts and paper coffee cups.
• ⚫ Dirty or greasy paper ➞ grey bin
  This includes pizza boxes and take-out food containers¹.
  

Plastic

• 🟡 Plastic ➞ yellow bin
  This includes food containers, plastic foil and bottle caps.
• Pfand logo ➞ return it, get money back
  Most juice bottles have a Pfand.

Metal

• 🟡 Metal ➞ yellow bin
  This includes aluminium foil.
• Pfand logo ➞ return it, get money back
  Most metal drink cans have a Pfand. More information here.

Glass

• Glass ➞ glass recycling bins
  The metal and plastic caps go in the yellow bin^{1, 2}. In Berlin, you don't need to clean glass containers¹.
  
• Pfand logo or label ➞ return it, get money back
  Most beer bottles have a Pfand. More information here.
• ⚫ Mirrors ➞ grey bin¹
• ⚫ Crystal, porcelain and ceramic ➞ grey bin¹
• ⚫ Light bulbs (incandescent or halogen) ➞ grey bin
  • LED lights ➞ electronics recycling bin
  • Energy-saving light bulbs ➞ recycling centre^{1, 2}

Styrofoam

• 🟡 Styrofoam ➞ yellow bin¹
  This includes food containers and packing material.
• Styrofoam isolation for buildings ➞ recycling centre

Other

• 🔵 Paper bags with plastic windows ➞ blue bin
  This includes bread bags with plastic windows¹, and envelopes with plastic windows¹.

Food

• 🟤 Biodegradable food ➞ brown bin
  This includes leftover food, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, bread, cheese, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, paper towels and bones.
• ⚫ Fat and cooking oil ➞ grey bin
  Don't pour the fat down the kitchen drain, because it can block the pipes¹.

Clothes and shoes

• 🎁 If they are still good, sell or donate them
  
• Old textiles ➞ recycling centre

Where to donate clothes in Berlin ➞

Electronics

Phones, computers and electronics

• If they are still good, sell or donate them. You can also bring them to a repair café.
• Electronics ➞ supermarkets, electronics stores and hardware stores
  
• Batteries ➞ supermarkets, electronics stores and hardware stores

Where to recycle electronics in Berlin — ReMap

Batteries

• Batteries ➞ supermarkets, electronics stores and hardware stores
• Car batteries ➞ auto parts store
  They have a 7.50€ Pfand¹. A.T.U accepts car batteries.

Light bulbs

• Incandescent light bulbs ➞ glass recycling bins
• Fluorescent light bulbs ➞ glass recycling bins
• Energy-saving light bulbs ➞ hardware store or recycling centre
• Neon lights ➞ hardware store or recycling centre

Furniture and appliances

• If it's still good, sell or donate it
• Appliances ➞ appliance collector, hardware store, or recycling centre
  When you buy an appliance, they often collect your old appliance for free. You can also contact Wachmachinen Entsorgung Berlin.
• Big items ➞ recycling centre
  This includes furniture, appliance and mattresses.
  • In Berlin, BSR can pick up big items (for a fee)

Trees, soil and grass

• 🟤 Plants, yard trimmings, soil, cut grass ➞ brown bin
• Christmas trees ➞ collected in January
  Look at your city's trash collection calendar (Abfuhrkalender). You just need to leave the tree next to the street. More information here.

Oil and paint

• Paints, oils and lacquers ➞ hardware stores
  Bauhaus, Hellweg, Hornbach and OBI will take it.
• Car oil ➞ garages, car parts stores and hardware stores
  If a business sells car oil, they must accept your old oil¹.
• ⚫ Cooking oil ➞ grey bin

Other things

• ⚫ Animal poop ➞ grey bin
  This includes dog poop and cat litter.
• 🔵 Books ➞ sell, donate or put in the blue bin
• ⚫ Baby diapers ➞ grey bin¹
• ⚫ Medicine and drugs ➞ grey bin¹. More information here.

Useful links

• Recycling information in English, with printable sheet — BSR
  
• What goes where? (in German) — search tool by BSR