Biberach Trash

So, the trash.

In Heidelberg, the sorting seemed a little complicated at first, but pretty soon it became routine: paper, Grüner Punkt (recyclable packaging including plastic and tin), Biomüll (essentially compostable trash), glass, and Restmull (anything that didn't fit in the other categories).

Here it goes a little differently. When Thorsten registered us, he got an information packet about the trash. Right afterwards we drove to the hardware store/garden market to pick up some containers for trash sorting. We had heard from a neighbor that we had to do our own composting, and we figured we needed maybe three or four other containers. "Should I check for sure?" asked Thorsten . . . and he came back with the trash packet and an expression of disbelief.

Seventeen categories.

And, there is no pickup of trash except for the Restmüll category, which happens only once every two weeks. Well, you do the math. You fill up your city-issued trash can in about three days if you don't do your recycling. The other stuff you get to take yourself to one of two supervised collection stations.

We ended up going home with five containers . . . the rest we think we can sort out once we get to the collection stations. When Thorsten called his new boss the topic of trash came up, and his boss said they have four containers in the kitchen and eight in the cellar, or something like that. He also said the city makes money selling the neatly separated categories of plastic and paper etc etc etc.

Wish us luck with this learning experience! Our trash can is already two thirds full and the next collection isn't till Dec 3 . . . .