The yellow Bin for Recyclables

Option for the Future?

On 15 September 2004 the official start was launched for the pilot project yellow bin^plus ("Gelbe Tonne^plus") at the SERO Leipzig GmbH, a cooperative initiative of the city of Leipzig, the Abfall-Logistik Leipzig GmbH and Duales System Deutschland GmbH. In addition to used packaging of plastic, metal and composites, same-material non-packaging such as household articles and small electrical units are also collected in the yellow bin^plus.

Using the yellow bin^plus more recyclable material is collected and recycled, the collected mix is cleaner and contains less residual waste. The balance is also good in terms of costs: both the community and the recyclables collection close to home benefit from savings. The project was so successful that the project partners agreed to continue the trial in regular operations – the yellow bin^plus has become a part of everyday life for Leipzig citizens.

The 5th amendment to the Packaging Ordinance has made the collection of same-material non-packaging in the yellow bin easier: within the agreement, public companies can demand that same-material non-packaging be collected by the dual system for an appropriate payment. Therefore, other cities and communities in Germany outside Leipzig are now experimenting with the yellow bin^plus or the yellow bin for recyclables. The following conditions are decisive:

Only lightweight packaging of plastic, metal and composites as well as same-material non-packaging is to be collected in the yellow bin for recyclables. Only then is it possible for sorting and recycling plants, which execute highly efficient processing of the contents of the yellow bag and the yellow bin throughout Germany, to recycle the new mix without additional investment.

The Green Dot ("Der Grüne Punkt") has set up the infrastructure for the collection, sorting and recycling of packaging, has developed technology and markets, and has ensured ecological and economic efficiency. Therefore, the yellow recyclables bin should also be operated in future by dual systems under responsibility of the private sector.