Greetings!
I got a yellow card from the local garbage company . It hasn't happened to me yet, I bought new paper bags for organic waste, are they actually recyclable? Or someone might threw something in my garbage can while it was on the street? Thank you

by Mirdza003

23 comments

  1. Apparently they dont want these types of bags in the bio garbage anymore, it takes too long to decompost.

    [https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.bio-muelltueten-verbot-mai-mhsd.6e3a824d-10ae-4ff1-99c8-ca63096d5d02.html](https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.bio-muelltueten-verbot-mai-mhsd.6e3a824d-10ae-4ff1-99c8-ca63096d5d02.html)

    (it was changed last month)

    Could also be cuz it just looks like paper, I doubt most of them are reading what it says on the packaging.

  2. usually they are theoretically compostable, but not in the timeframe of the facillities. I dont know about this one in specific tho. But yes they are a consumer scam.

    I use an old cooking pot to collect the trash and then just dump it in.

    Also possible that someone put their plastic wrappings in there whilst walking by. some ppl are scum

  3. The trash bags are fine; I use them, too, and I’ve never had any problems. It’s possible that someone passing by might throw something in that doesn’t belong there. That’s why they should always be put out in the morning, not overnight.

  4. It is probably about the bags, as they’re explicitly on the card (“auch kompostierbare Tüten” – biodegradable bags also) because the garbage facility does not let them turn to compost, and it is costing them too much to separate themselves

  5. Nice of them. They didn’t instantly fine the monthly pay out of you.

    That’s why we don’t use them anymore at all. Too dangerous.

  6. The paper bags you use should totally fine.

    The yellow card does not mention them. It does mention paper in large amounts, which means that small amounts of paper are okay.

    It might have been a random AH using your bio bin for regular trash.

  7. It’s so different between states, cities and companies. Best thing would be to just ask the company, I think they would be happy to answer what exactly went wrong 🙂

  8. The bags you posted are fine. Must have been something else.

  9. It says “larger amounts of paper” whatever “large” is and on the side note “so-called decomposable papers made from corn, etc”

    Your bags might fit one or the other description, they might also not be able to identify it as decomposable.

    I’d reach out to the Entsorgungsamt via email and just clarify.

  10. Some companies are sorting the bio waste.

    They use an automated system that can’t detect if its plastic or the “bio plastic”.

    You need to look at the company who picks it up if they allow it.

  11. A lot of things are bio-degradable. It’s just a matter of how long it takes. Those bags could take months to years to degrade.

  13. From that yellow paper:
    Not okay: so callled compostable bags (e.g. made from corn, cellulose or starch).

  14. Don’t get confused by the comments regarding he bags, OP. The bags you posted are 100% okay. Just don’t overdo it with the paper, e.g. wrap every bad cucumber individually.

    The comment on the card refers to those „compostable plastic bags“ you can buy. While they are in theory compostable, they take too long, which is why most municipalities do not permit them.

    Generally, since basically every municipality has their own rules on bio waste, you should check the website for your local garbage disposal company. They will have a Do and Don’t list you can check.

  17. Most likely they are not the issue.
    The simple solution is to check the city your living in regarding what is fine and what’s not.

    I had this once as some genius had some flowers that were bound together by a small Metalstring. And this one dumped it into the bin.

  18. These bags have been forbidden for almost 3 years in most cities. They take to long to decompose.

  19. Thank you all for help ! I really appreciate it! „kompostierbare Tüten” confused me.

  21. And more info :

    EN 13432 is the European standard that defines when a material can be officially labeled as “compostable” — specifically under industrial composting conditions.

    To be certified under EN 13432, a product (like a compostable bin liner) must meet four main criteria:
    1. Biodegradation
    → At least 90% of the material must break down into CO₂, water, and biomass within 6 months under industrial composting conditions.
    2. Disintegration
    → After 3 months, no more than 10% of the material (by weight) should remain in pieces larger than 2 mm — the item should have essentially disappeared.
    3. No negative effects on the compost
    → It must not contain heavy metals or toxic substances and must not affect microbial activity or soil quality.
    4. No harmful effects on plant growth
    → The resulting compost must allow plants to grow normally — no toxicity to seedlings, for example.

    ⸻

    ⚠️ The problem in practice:

    Many so-called compostable bags do pass the EN 13432 tests in lab conditions, but:
    • Industrial composting plants usually have only 4 to 6 weeks to fully compost everything — not 6 months.
    • The real-world conditions (like temperature, humidity, and oxygen flow) vary and aren’t exactly like the test setup.
    • Thicker or multi-layer bio-based plastics often don’t break down fast enough, even though they’re EN 13432 certified.

    So, what happens? These bags don’t decompose fast enough, and most composting facilities treat them as contaminants and remove them early — even if they’re “certified compostable.”

  23. “auch sogenannte „kompostierbare Tüten” z.B. Tüten aus Maismehl, Cellulose und Stärke”. Kann jemand erklären, warum sind sie NICHT erlaubt?

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