Garbage bags declared as biodegradable are increasingly causing problems for Thuringian waste disposal companies. “Many citizens use the so-called compostable plastic organic waste bags in good faith,” explained Jasmin Schöne from the Eastern Thuringia Waste Management Association. However, the plastic bags did not rot in composting plants and they also caused complications during fermentation in biogas plants.
The plastic bags are also an increasing nuisance in the cities of Erfurt, Eisenach and Jena as well as at the Wartburgkreis waste management association. The proportion of types of waste incorrectly disposed of in organic waste bins is increasing significantly. The municipalities are trying to counteract this with educational work or – as in the case of Erfurt – special organic waste bags made of paper.
The amount of organic waste has been steadily increasing for years
According to the State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation, the amount of waste disposed of in the organic waste bin in Thuringia has been increasing steadily for years – from 68,000 tons in 2015 to around 83,000 tons in 2021. In some municipalities and districts such as Erfurt, Eisenach and Organic bins are mandatory in the Wartburg district, but exceptions can be made if there is evidence of home composting on the property.
Organic waste bins are not available across the board
In other districts such as the Greiz district, the use of such a bin is offered. However, waste disposal companies are critical of the introduction of organic waste bins, especially in sparsely populated areas. The Eastern Thuringia Waste Management Association says that in regions with fewer than 100 inhabitants per square kilometer, disposal makes neither ecological nor economic sense because of the long distances. The Weimarer Land district works said that relieving the burden on the residual waste bin by having its own organic waste bin was disproportionate to the expenses for the district. The CO2 emissions of the three new collection vehicles required for organic waste collection would negate the savings effects of an organic waste bin.