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Whether living on or off base, you are required to recycle in Germany. Installation recycling centers are only for those in government housing. Off-base residents can get an annual pick-up schedule from the local Rathaus. Off base, trash fees are dependent on bin volume; contact your landlord or waste management company if they are not the right size for your household.
Here is a quick guide to recycling and waste disposal:
Paper (Papier, Pappe, Karton) Boxes (from cereal boxes to shoe boxes) Cardboard Envelopes Paper Paper bags Reading materials (paperback books, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, mail) Wrapping paper
Non-paper Packing Material (Gelber Sack, Grüner Punkt) Aluminum foil Bottle tops Jar lids Metal cans/packaging Net bags for produce Plastic bags (storage bags, bags that food comes in, grocery bags) Plastic bottles/cartons Styrofoam
Biodegradables/Compost (Bio) Branches Bread Coffee filters Egg shells Flowers/Plants Fruit Hay and straw shavings Nut shells Paper towels Tea bags Untreated wood Vegetables Wood chips Residual
Other trash (Restmüll) Ashes Cat litter Diapers Feminine products Kleenex Meat (including bones) Mirrors Non-packaging metals/plastics Seafood (including shells) Soiled paper products Vacuum cleaner bags
Glass (Altglastonne) Your area may or may not have glass pickup. If not, you’ll need to separate by color (white and clear, green, brown) and drop off at the local recycling center or bins located in your village (often in grocery store parking lots).
Blue and other colored glass (put with green glass) Drinking glasses Non-returnable glass jars/bottles Other glass packaging *No ceramics, porcelain, flat glass or metal/plastic lids
Bulk and hazardous waste On-base residents can take these items to the installation recycling center. Otherwise, drop at your village’s collection point or arrange for pickup. Contact your Rathaus or waste management company (Abfallwirtschaft) for details.
Batteries Chemicals/detergents/pesticides Construction waste Cooking oil Electronics Furniture Large branches Lightbulbs Mercury thermometers Other oils Paint Scrap metal Tires Trees
The Kaiserslautern waste management guide provides useful recycling tips.
