Filling the biotons correctly: Free stickers for Saarbrücken citizens!

Filling the biotons correctly: Free stickers for Saarbrücken citizens!

On February 5, 2025, the Central Municipal Disposal Occupation (ZKE) in Saarbrücken announces that it offers free stickers for biotons. These stickers inform the citizens that no plastic belongs to the bio bin. The stickers are available in the urban citizens' offices and the information in the St. Johann town hall. The ZKE has increasingly observed misfortunes at biotons, which affects the quality of the bioma waste and future recycling.

In order to solve the problem of the wrong fillings, the non -properly filled biotons are only emptied when they are properly sorted. Foreign substances such as plastic disturb the recycling of biomass. Even compostable plastic bags are not allowed in the bio bin because they are difficult to distinguish from conventional plastic bags and rotten slowly. The ZKE recommends wrapping organic waste in newspaper or paper bags.

preparation for new waste separation rules

The new stickers are not only informative, but also multilingual and contain colorful comic motifs by the Saarbrück artist Jürgen Schanz. A QR code on the stickers refers to an information page for the appropriate organic waste disposal in Saarbrücken. The city company empties the organic bin every two weeks and brings the collected organic waste to a fermentation system for biogas production. The biogas generated there is used in a combined heat and power plant for electricity and heat generation.

In addition to the local measures in Saarland, there is a broader discussion about waste separation in Germany and worldwide. The importance of waste separation for environmental protection and the preservation of natural resources is becoming increasingly clear. Unexpected garbage often leads to landfills or burns, which is very stressful for the environment. By properly waste separation, valuable materials can be recycled and energy and raw material consumption can be significantly reduced. In Germany, the effective garbage separation system with high recycled rates shows how important clear rules and committed citizens are. There are similar successes in Japan, Sweden and South Korea alone.

At the same time, there are numerous challenges in the field of waste separation. A lack of education and lack of infrastructure are two central aspects. Successful models, such as in Germany or Japan, show that information campaigns and community commitment are crucial to improve waste separation and the associated environmental protection. Future approaches rely on sustainable practices and technological innovations to further optimize waste separation and increase the recycled rates. In this context, it is particularly important to inform the citizens about the right waste separation in order to make a positive contribution to the environment.