"The yellow garbage can offers many advantages over the yellow bag as a waste collection system. In particular, the yellow garbage can prevents the bags from blowing away in strong winds and being torn open by animals. All in all, this means a much better service for our citizens. After four years of legal wrangling over the yellow garbage can, I am pleased that I can now propose the introduction of the yellow garbage can to the council at the beginning of 2026 and I am sure that a broad majority of the council will support this."

Back in 2019, the Salzgitter City Council instructed the administration to negotiate with the dual systems to ensure that the yellow garbage can would be introduced across the whole of Salzgitter from 01/01/2023 as a replacement for the yellow bags used to date. In the negotiations with the representatives of the dual systems, the administration was unable to reach a final agreement on the introduction of a yellow garbage can in Salzgitter. The dual systems wanted to retain the yellow bag as a collection system.

The new Packaging Act gave local authorities the opportunity to demand the introduction of a yellow garbage can from waste disposal companies as part of a legal framework. The city of Salzgitter then also made use of this legal option in 2021. The dual systems filed a lawsuit against this administrative act by the city of Salzgitter. The legal dispute before the Braunschweig Regional Court was decided in favor of the city of Salzgitter in mid-2023. This cleared the way to re-enter into negotiations with the dual systems in order to implement the introduction of the yellow garbage can.

Following coordination between the city of Salzgitter and the negotiator of the dual systems, it was decided that the yellow garbage can would be introduced on January 1, 2026. The SRB still has a collection contract for the yellow bags until the end of 2025, so the changeover date after that is optimal for both sides. The time until the introduction can now be used to clarify the details of implementation.

Klingebiel concludes: "The introduction of the yellow garbage can will certainly initially mean a change for citizens, as another waste garbage can will be added for households. Our SRB will also have to fundamentally revise its waste collection routes for the introduction of the yellow garbage can. However, this changeover will certainly be worthwhile for everyone. And the existing problems with the yellow bags will be history from 2026."