Why does it make sense to separate green waste for recycling and what shouldn’t be put in the organic bin for the benefit of the environment? Here you can learn more about collecting and disposing of kitchen or garden waste to make your own climate-friendly contribution!
Nowadays, for many reasons, it is important to ask yourself what can go in the organic waste bin as compostable and environmentally friendly waste. While recycling organic waste is nothing new, not everyone knows where their green waste ends up and what happens to it. Since waste separation is regulated by the Recycling Management Act in every federal state, it would also make sense to find out what goes in organic bins. This means that high-quality compost for mulch or biogas for fuel can be produced more efficiently, which can be advantageous in the face of climate change. However, not everything that is plant-based or biodegradable can be processed in plants in the same way. Here is some useful information and tips to help you differentiate green waste to aid in the waste management process.
What mistakes to avoid when separating waste and what shouldn’t go in the bio bin?
As far as garden waste is concerned, this includes lawn clippings, leaves, branches, undergrowth, tree cuttings and other residues. However, branches should be up to 10 cm in diameter and up to 120 cm long. This allows them to easily fit into the bin and be processed into valuable material at the plant. This enables correspondingly higher quality results with organic compost or mulch.
Such composting can help plants in private gardens and in agriculture to grow with fewer CO₂ emissions. On the other hand, mulching promotes water conservation by better storing the water in the garden soil. But can everything, such as coffee grounds, be easily composted and what else shouldn’t be put in the organic waste bin as unsuitable waste material or by-product?
What kind of food and garden waste to dispose of in the organic waste bin?
The main advantage of the compost bin is that you don’t just have to throw food and garden waste in the residual waste bin. In this way, an environmentally friendly waste separation can take place through the easy use of a bio bin. In addition, the average family can thus reduce the amount of waste going into their general waste bin by over 30%.
In general, a green bin can be used for leftovers, whether cooked or uncooked, such as fruits and vegetables, egg shells, meat, fish and bones, pasta, rice and bread. However, these belong in the green bin and are not suitable for the organic bin, as problems can arise when processing them. As for yard waste, tough, coarse, and wiry plants, such as desert plants or palm fronds, can get caught in sorting equipment. Below are some common garden plants, as well as what is not allowed in the compost bin.
For example, avoid disposing of drought-tolerant plant varieties in the compost bin. Yuccas, succulents and cacti are also included and should be thrown away in your black bin for general waste. What shouldn’t be put in the organic waste bin also includes tough varieties such as bamboo and palm fronds. These are usually too hard to be broken down into mulch or compost by waste processing. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to add such plants to the general waste as well. Today there is a lot of packaging and materials such as plastics, glass, cardboard and metals that are considered valuable and recyclable. However, most of them do not belong in the organic waste bin either, as they make processing more difficult and cannot be sorted out. Do not consider other rubbish and dirt such as rubble, stones, sand, cat litter and animal remains as organic waste. These bind to moisture in the bin and entail many complications when it comes to recycling the waste. If such waste is mixed with your bio-waste in the garbage can during garbage collection, the entire contents and what is not allowed in the bio-bin will most likely end up in the landfill instead. This usually leads to the fact that environmentally harmful greenhouse gases are produced when waste is incinerated. You can change this by distinguishing the organic waste from each other and sorting it into the right bins. Recognize other unsuitable waste and what must not know in the bio bin
According to unofficial figures, more than a third of organic waste ends up in landfill instead of fulfilling its important purpose in the fight against climate change. Waste suitable for the compost bin includes almost all garden waste and food leftovers such as fruit or vegetable peelings. However, you should wrap this in newspaper before throwing it in the bin to keep fruit flies away. This also applies to cut flowers, potting soil and potted plants with balls, although you should let grass clippings dry first. This will prevent mold and bacteria from developing in the garbage can, which would also make cleaning easier for you. Also, place a layer of paper or sand at the bottom of the container to help absorb the liquids.
In addition, human and animal hair, as well as bird feathers, wood chips and untreated wood materials are also considered organic waste. You can also add these to your compost bin, which also includes degradable products such as egg cartons and newspaper. You can also keep your compost bins clean by using compostable garbage bags, which are available at most major retailers. Although there are many biodegradable bin liners available today, they are not suitable for disposal in such bins. But what else is not allowed in the bio bin so that processing can take place without any problems? Here is another list of materials and fabrics to consider.
Avoid other waste unsuitable for bio bins
Garden or indoor plants affected by insects or plant diseases do not belong in the bio bin, as they could contaminate them. Chemically treated lawn clippings or weeds after weeding should also not be regarded as organic waste, as these have a negative effect on mulch or compost. Also, do not throw ash, gravel or crushed stone from the garden or bricks in the organic waste bin, as they make processing more difficult, as described above. In addition, household goods such as vacuum cleaner bags, dryer sheets, as well as clothing, textiles, wallpaper and shoes are not among the types of waste suitable for organic waste bins. This also applies to hygiene items such as diapers, sanitary towels, tampons and other personal care products, as well as medical waste such as wound dressings. Although this rarely happens, you should also avoid fats, oils, paint, motor oil, wax or petroleum, as well as cigarette butts and animal excrement as waste in compost bins. What else is not allowed in the organic waste bin are artificial flowers, medicines, flower pots made of plastic or ceramic items, wire, cardboard, leather, cleaning tools such as rags, etc.
How to optimize household waste and what shouldn’t go in the bio bin when composting?
Composting is an equally sustainable and eco-friendly way to encourage plant growth and improve garden soil. It would therefore be useful to know what is not allowed in the bio bin if you use it as a compost bin. For example, there is food waste that could produce bad odors and thereby attract pests. Additionally, certain yard waste can be bad for composting because it slows down the decomposition process. Here are some examples and advice that can help you manage your household waste better and make the most of your compost.
Avoid waste that is unsuitable for the bio bin as a compost container
Food leftovers such as onions, egg, fruit or citrus peels or stale bread are suitable for the composter in small quantities. However, you should avoid food such as leftover meat in such household waste or organic waste bins. This also applies to fish, seafood and other rotting meat, the fussing of which quickly attracts pests such as rats, flies, etc. The same applies to dairy products such as cheese, cream, yoghurt, cooking oils and similar products, which could attract unwanted visitors and thereby interfere with your organic waste intended for recycling. Again, the rule of thumb is: don’t add pesticide-sprayed plants or treated wood to the organic bin. This includes diseased plants and those that you have treated with herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or other chemical repellents. Additionally, you should not throw pressure treated, stained, varnished, or stained wood in the compost or compost bin. This can negatively affect the organisms in the compost bin and even damage your plants when fertilizing. When it comes to yard waste, pay particular attention to twigs, hard shells, and roots like those of walnuts, as they contain a substance called juglone. This inhibits plant growth and can even be deadly for the plants. Edible plant varieties such as potatoes, tomatoes and peppers, or ornamental plants such as azaleas, viburnums and hydrangeas are particularly affected.
Also avoid adding weeds with seeds to your composter as these will later develop in the soil and will interfere with plants growing. Although ash is good for garden soil, wood ash can be too acidic for plants due to its high sulfur content. Wood briquettes also usually contain chemicals, which can damage your crops when fertilizing with such compost. As with organic waste and what should not be in the organic bin, you should never put animal excrement such as cat or dog excrement in the compost bin. This can turn the end product into hazardous waste in household waste. This is mainly because both cats and dogs can carry bacteria and parasites, which often leads to roundworm infections. In addition, cat droppings and cat litter cause even more complications in the compost bin, as they could transmit pathogens that lead to toxoplasmosis, for example. This is a disease that poses a danger to the unborn child of pregnant women. What should not be in the bio bin as household waste know and add suitable products
There is also certain waste that, despite what you have read above, lends itself to the compost bin. These are easily compostable materials that you can safely dispose of in a bio bin. Surprisingly, this can potentially be household waste that you didn’t know was suitable for compost.
After familiarizing yourself with the inappropriate items, you can now discard waste such as aquarium plants, lint, hops and malt, paper towels or napkins, expired herbs and spices, uncoated paper plates, and toothpicks and chopsticks in the composter. At this point, it is important to point out that this waste is only suitable for the compost bin if the no-gos described above are not included.