Neighbour took my bio waste out of the courtyard compost bin and put it outside my door. I researched and double checked this bag to make sure it was is certified industrially compostable in germany according to DIN EN 13432/ EN 14995 and carried the green seedling logo - made out of corn. So by law, it should allowed to be in the bio bin unless I’m mistaken? I used paper prior but just switched to this as it seemed more practical.
Proceeded to put bag back in compost and he came out (was he was waiting by hiswindow the whole time ?????) and began yelling at me. When I say yell … he was bright red. I tried to explain but he refused to accept it was 100% compostable - threatened to report and get me fined.
This, as you can imagine is a horrid situation. Everyone can disagree but agression makes no sense. Even if I’m wrong there’s always a better way to deal with this. He kept saying ‘HUUUUH?’ And rolling his eyes as if to indicate he could not understand my German when I’m certain it was perfectly clear.
Just draining
Anyone here know about the laws and protocols surrounding bio waste? Can he report me? Please take note I am trying to do the right thing - genuinely did research what bags could be used that were 100% biodegradable and compost friendly.
First. This is unacceptable behavior by your neighbor.
Second. Unfortunately, the machinery of the waste management company can not hande bags as the technology can not recognize if the bag is compostable or not. These bags are more for people who have a garden and can control their biological waste better. This means that these bags will be sorted out and treated as if they were not biodegradable.
I might be wrong, please find out who your recycling provider is. Should be BSR. Check with them.
Personally, I find that annoying.
Will do, thanks
No, these bags are also rubbish, and the biogas plant has to filter them out. Paper or no paper goes in the bin. Plastic bags, even so-called "compostable" bioplastic bags, are not allowed in the organic waste bin in Berlin because they are sorted out as contaminants since they decompose too slowly and the technology cannot distinguish them from conventional plastic bags.
Good to know this l! Thanks for the info.
If your neighbor was a normal person they’d just explain you what’s wrong like people do here.
A normal conversation would have worked - sadly he has issues combined with being quite territorial as a long term resident maybe decades. I just want to avoid him. My only concern is that he seems to have a lot of idle time and is perhaps the type who would relish getting me fined.
Unfortunately nearly every building except very fresh has such tenants. They usually don’t back out until you yell at them, ideally pointing something about laws and regulations.
You might want to play the card of digging into trash being illegal because whatever is in the bin is a property of BSR at that point. And looking specifically for your trash that person might interfere with your privacy.
That’s a legally gray area but it doesn’t matter because such people just need a push back to calm down and look for another victim.
Don't use those bags. They require another kind of compost plant than the one's that are in use in Germany. They are a huge expensive nuisance for the people that work in these compost plants. And, yes, this is the case even if the bags claim to be biodegradable. Same as with "flushable" wet wipes. They will cause major plumbing issues if flushed in great numbers.
Edit. Have a look here. It explains it.https://www.quarks.de/umwelt/muell/darum-sind-bio-muellbeutel-nicht-umweltfreundlich/
Would make so much sense for them to be, you know, not be sold in Germany…
Thanks - will have a read
Wha they did is shitty. I don’t know if there has been a back and forth with you and hem but if you keep throwing your Biomüll in these bags and they keep telling you that you can’t, I understand them.
You shared that you researched but it wasn’t complete. If you go directly to the BSR website, they tell you that you cannot use these bags.
Why REWE still sells them in Berlin is infuriating but that’s a different story.
They are compostable but not in B.
Was first time using this bag. Neighbour has not been the most friendly prior. Very much the long term resident who’s been quite distrustful of me since my arrival. Had an incident prior when he tried to prevent me from entering the building and followed me to my door to make sure it was my apartment- hence why he knew exactly where I lived.
sounds like he needs to be put in place so he can start respecting boundaries.
but then, he probably has lots of time and will mess with you even more if you do so. after all, who even tracks you while you take your trash out and then makes the effort to take out your trash from the bin and also has no shame to put in in front of your doorstep? best is to put on a fake smile against this person to avoid headache.
this is the best way to handle that person.
as appealing as e.g. a pissplatte would be, it's the easiest to fake a smile and be done with him...
I've seen them used in Baden-Württemberg and Bayern, rightly or wrongly... Did not know they're disallowed in Berlin or anywhere else. Is the Biomüll compost machinery dependent on the Bundesland or smaller level?
Not sure. Could be at even a city level.
in my building people are using normal plastic bags for their Biomüll, and when I told them about it (young German couple btw) they complained that it is not written anywhere that it is not allowed (and it is...)
In Berlin, there are even signs on the containers as a reminder.
Plastic bags, including so-called "compostable" bioplastic bags, are not allowed in the organic waste bin in Berlin, as they are sorted out as contaminants because they decompose too slowly and the technology cannot distinguish them from conventional plastic bags.
containers change periodically, some of them have the indication, some don't
And everyone should really have them. But as always, that only works on paper.
🥺🥺🥺
What an asshole.
For whatever reason, BSR doesn’t recognize these biodegradable bags as Biomüll. I’ve heard this is due to these bags being not fit as compost, but I dunno.
And yes, people here can be really anal (read: assholes) about the waste management.
My advice: get a dedicated bucket for your Biomüll and just empty it into the bin.
Plastic bags, including so-called "compostable" bioplastic bags, are not allowed in the organic waste bin in Berlin, as they are sorted out there as contaminants because they decompose too slowly and the technology cannot distinguish them from conventional plastic bags.
I used these bags too until I learned that they don't work with the BSR.
I switched to two steel bowls from ikea ('blanda blank' I think) bc they are easily cleanable, I can empty them with one hand and close them with standard lids, also I don't care if someone nicks them bc I often leave them in the court until I come back. I do wish sometimes they were a bit bigger or had a larger base, so I might get a small seamless steel bucket if I ever find one.
what's inside? I'm not the first one questioning? would they like their trash returned without Tüte?
Do you have a Hausverwaltung? I would complain to them, especially about the time he followed you because it sounds creepy
das gibt's ja nicht. sind die ansprechbar?
Er hat Wutprobleme. Ich versuche, ihn zu meiden.
das hätte ich erwähnt für ein komplettes Bild
Herrje, Cholerikern kann man nur aus dem Weg gehen
They're fkn insufferable. Just empty the contents in front of his door (jk, but for real i hope you come up with a beautifully petty way to deal with it). I just throw my Biomüll in the Restmüll at this point bc of something similar. You could also empty the contents into the bio bin and throw the bag in the Restmüll. I wish you well and that your neighbor is mildly inconvenienced regularly for being like that.
I think at this point my strategy is to avoid him as much as possible. He once tried to prevent me from entering the building as he didn’t believe I was a resident. But ofc fines are another matter - and I believe someone like him would follow through with their threat.
Dump you biomüll on his doorstep from now on
As appealing as the fantasy is - I think it’s exactly what he wants. People who thrive of conflict. I get the impression he’s quite miserable tbh.