The Salzgitter municipal waste management company therefore attaches particular importance to the clean separation of organic waste in order to reduce the amount of contaminants such as plastics and residual waste in organic waste.

Around 1,200 composting and fermentation plants in Germany produce around 2.5 million tons of nutrient-rich compost for agriculture and horticulture from around 5 million tons of potato, banana and egg shells and many other kitchen and garden waste from organic waste garbage cans. This is enough to fertilize an agricultural area almost half the size of Saarland. This saves large quantities of energy-intensive artificial fertilizer.

Biowaste is closer to nature than any other household waste, because the compost produced is used as a soil conditioner in fields, parks or gardens - where plastic shreds or broken glass, for example, are absolutely taboo. This is why plastic, glass and metal waste must not be disposed of in the organic waste garbage can.

Compostable kitchen and garden waste, such as fruit and vegetable waste, grass and shrub cuttings and flowers, belong in the organic waste garbage cans.

Unfortunately, inspections of the organic waste garbage cans in Salzgitter have shown that the organic waste contains contaminants.

Incorrectly filled organic waste garbage cans (e.g. with plastic bags or bioplastic bags) cannot be emptied on collection day. If the content of impurities is too high, recycling companies will no longer be able to process the organic waste and will refuse to accept it.

Property owners have the following options:

• To sort the organic waste garbage cans and only provide properly filled bins for the next organic waste garbage can emptying,
  
  or
  
  
• order a chargeable special emptying as residual waste for unsorted organic waste garbage cans at the following e-mail address srbdispostadt.salzgitterde.

Plastic bags in particular do not belong in the organic waste. Plastic bags or bioplastic bags made of biodegradable plastics are excluded from disposal via the organic waste garbage can in the city of Salzgitter. This also applies to bioplastic bags certified in accordance with DIN EN 14995 or EN 13432. So-called bioplastics or biodegradable plastics do not decompose quickly enough in the standard composting times in the plants and the smallest plastic particles are released into the environment as microplastics via the compost.

The SRB therefore asks all users of organic waste garbage cans to observe a few instructions regarding the filling of the bins. Only newspaper or uncoated paper bags may be used for the disposal of organic waste. Spoiled food must be disposed of in the organic waste garbage can without packaging.

Odors and maggot formation can be avoided if a few tips from the waste advisory service are followed when handling the organic waste garbage can. Line the base of the organic waste garbage can with coarse material, e.g. egg carton, wrapping paper, shrub cuttings, and also place coarse material around the edge to prevent organic waste from sticking. Do not compact the biowaste, as a lack of oxygen will cause fermentation. Allow particularly moist biowaste to drain well beforehand. Fresh grass cuttings in the organic waste garbage can quickly clump together and cause odors, so allow the grass cuttings to dry out beforehand and fill them loosely into the organic waste garbage can. The organic waste garbage can should be placed in a cool, shady place with the lid closed to avoid additional heat build-up and thus odors. After emptying the organic waste garbage can, allow it to dry out well and clean the rim and lid in particular. If maggots appear despite all measures, they can be controlled by sprinkling algae lime or rock flour on top.

If the residual waste no longer fits in the residual waste garbage can, please do not use the organic waste garbage can as a waste container. In this case, the SRB advises you to apply for a larger residual waste garbage can.

If you have any further questions about waste disposal, please contact the SRB's waste advisory service on 05341 / 839-3741.