https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Between paper waste, compost and trash you might think Munich homes had enough waste bins already. Here's why adding a yellow bin for plastic and metal should actually make recycling easier. https://www.thelocal.de/20250515/why-munich-residents-are-getting-yellow-recycling-bins-for-the-first-time Thu, 15 May 2025 13:56:45 +0200 why-munich-residents-are-getting-yellow-recycling-bins-for-the-first-time From January 2025, a new EU law for the disposal of textile products such as clothing and towels will come into force in Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20241129/the-changes-to-germanys-waste-and-recycling-rules-in-2025 Fri, 29 Nov 2024 13:12:55 +0100 the-changes-to-germanys-waste-and-recycling-rules-in-2025 When it comes to leftovers, many probably don't think of culinary delights. A four-star hotel in Bremerhaven shows that exactly that is possible. https://www.thelocal.de/20200306/food-waste-or-four-star-cuisine-a-restaurant-fights-food Fri, 06 Mar 2020 16:07:25 +0100 food-waste-or-four-star-cuisine-a-restaurant-fights-food Per capita, Germans throw 226.5 kilograms of packaging away each year - a record high. A new report looks at the reasons behind the rise. https://www.thelocal.de/20191118/germans-produce-more-packaging-waste-than-ever-before Mon, 18 Nov 2019 11:42:11 +0100 germans-produce-more-packaging-waste-than-ever-before One company near Dresden has created an innovative approach to turn plastic waste into fuel - which it hopes to roll out throughout Germany and beyond. https://www.thelocal.de/20190705/trash-to-cash-how-an-east-germany-company-is-turning-plastic-into-fuel Fri, 05 Jul 2019 17:51:50 +0200 trash-to-cash-how-an-east-germany-company-is-turning-plastic-into-fuel Both manufacturers and consumers could soon be hit with higher costs. But is that such a bad thing? https://www.thelocal.de/20190521/germany-proposes-extra-charge-for-disposable-coffee-cups Tue, 21 May 2019 18:15:54 +0200 germany-proposes-extra-charge-for-disposable-coffee-cups Even eco-friendly Germany is guilty of a throwaway culture. Each year, it consumes more than 220 kilos of packaging per capita – more than any other country in the European Union. https://www.thelocal.de/20180726/germany-accumulates-more-packaging-waste-per-capita-than-any-country-in-the-eu Thu, 26 Jul 2018 12:58:01 +0200 germany-accumulates-more-packaging-waste-per-capita-than-any-country-in-the-eu Despite a large majority of German households keeping their waste separated, many residents are now seemingly reluctant to do so. https://www.thelocal.de/20180417/all-mixed-up-60-percent-of-packaging-waste-in-germany-lands-in-wrong-bin Tue, 17 Apr 2018 14:23:11 +0200 all-mixed-up-60-percent-of-packaging-waste-in-germany-lands-in-wrong-bin One of the brilliant things about living abroad is that you learn skills and habits that aren't as common in your home country. Germany certainly has a few to offer. https://www.thelocal.de/20161124/9-ways-living-in-germany-makes-you-a-better-person-diet-cycling-nationalism-technology-vegetarian Thu, 24 Nov 2016 17:09:57 +0100 9-ways-living-in-germany-makes-you-a-better-person-diet-cycling-nationalism-technology-vegetarian In a warehouse in the western Germany city of Cologne, bottles of deodorant and shower gel plastered with the face of football manager Joachim Löw are stacked all the way up to the ceiling. https://www.thelocal.de/20170413/recycling-mad-germans-turn-to-sharing-to-battle-waste Thu, 13 Apr 2017 10:59:26 +0200 recycling-mad-germans-turn-to-sharing-to-battle-waste We find ourselves in the year 2017 and all Bavaria is occupied by the Prussians... all of Bavaria? No, one indomitable village still resists, refusing to obey national recycling laws. https://www.thelocal.de/20170103/the-small-bavarian-village-holding-out-against-recycling Tue, 03 Jan 2017 12:45:24 +0100 the-small-bavarian-village-holding-out-against-recycling The bill in Bremen made a surprise find on Sunday - a pair of legs sticking out of a recycling bin. The body attached to them gave the same implausible explanation for his bizarre actions as he had done four months earlier. https://www.thelocal.de/20160530/puzzled-cops-pull-pair-of-legs-out-of-bin-for-second-time Mon, 30 May 2016 17:02:29 +0200 puzzled-cops-pull-pair-of-legs-out-of-bin-for-second-time When it comes to what they wear, Germans have a throwaway culture. A new survey by Greenpeace shows that the words Schuster (cobbler) and Schneider (tailor) have become little more than surnames in modern society. https://www.thelocal.de/20151123/germans-throw-away-their-clothes-greenpeace Mon, 23 Nov 2015 16:30:00 +0100 germans-throw-away-their-clothes-greenpeace After throwing away €12,000 this week, a landlord in North Rhine-Westfalia thought he'd made one of the most expensive blunders of his life. But the money made it home safely, police said on Friday – and all thanks to an honest pensioner. https://www.thelocal.de/20150828/man-bins-12000-but-is-reunited-with-cash Fri, 28 Aug 2015 17:10:08 +0200 man-bins-12000-but-is-reunited-with-cash An invention being trialed in the Bavarian town of Bamberg is making life easier for the poorest citizens. The contraption on public bins holds used bottles ready for collectors in need of the recycling deposit. https://www.thelocal.de/20140220/bamberg-bins-make-bottle-collecting-easier Thu, 20 Feb 2014 18:13:00 +0100 bamberg-bins-make-bottle-collecting-easier It is more famous for its ancient beer halls, world-class football stadium and medieval churches, but glass recycling bins have been named one of Munich’s highest-rated attractions by reviewers on Google. https://www.thelocal.de/20131122/popular-dustbin-munichs-newest-attraction Fri, 22 Nov 2013 16:42:00 +0100 popular-dustbin-munichs-newest-attraction Two culinary-minded Berlin women have given "leftovers for dinner" a fresh twist by organizing communal suppers conjured up from unsold food foraged from markets. And following considerable success, they want to go global. https://www.thelocal.de/20130108/47193 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:28:00 +0100 47193 A woman who cleared up a load of empty bottles from near the entrance to a children’s playground has been fined nearly €250 by German authorities for illegal rubbish disposal. https://www.thelocal.de/20121018/45635 Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:33:00 +0200 45635 Mobile phones should carry a deposit just like bottles, to encourage people to recycle them, a German Green MP has suggested. https://www.thelocal.de/20120308/41227 Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:36:00 +0100 41227 A father and son team which invented a low-emission combustion technology and the founder of a environmentally friendly office supplies firm are sharing Europe’s most lucrative prize for environmental innovation. https://www.thelocal.de/20111031/38549 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:34:00 +0100 38549