The second amendment was passed by the city council on May 15, 2024 and came into force on July 11, 2024.

Extension of the delivery time
While waste containers and bulky waste previously had to be made available by 6:00 a.m. on the day of collection, the situation is now easing for caretaker services and property owners: They have until 7:00 a.m. to provide bins and registered bulky waste. The time of the earliest possible deployment date the evening before remains unchanged at 5:00 p.m.

Keeping the sidewalks
What is new is the addition that users of the street or sidewalk must not be endangered or hindered by the placement of waste containers. “Similar to the street cleaning regulations, it is now also specified where the containers can be placed if there is no sidewalk: on a 1.50 meter wide strip at the edge of the street,” explains Daniel Brater, head of the waste department at the Environment and Nature Conservation Office.

Bulky waste
When the city economy collects bulky waste and electrical appliances, the order number must be clearly visible in the future. Also new is the regulation that Pedelecs and batteries do not belong to bulky waste and may not be disposed of in it.

Total weight for waste containers
For the first time, the permissible total weights of filled waste containers are specified in detail. They were determined based on the manufacturer's specifications. For example, a waste container with a container volume of up to 120 liters may in future weigh a maximum of 60 kilograms when emptied. The bin is twice as large with a capacity of 240 liters and a maximum capacity of 110 kilograms. According to the old statute, a waste container was considered too heavy if it could not be lifted by disposal vehicles. “The bins were often so heavy that the employees of SWE Stadtwirtschaft GmbH could no longer move them to the disposal vehicles,” says Brater. “High-weight waste should, if possible, be divided into several containers of the same type of waste.”

Obligation to provide and maintain
precise information on the obligation to provide and maintain such as the number, size and type of waste containers are also required in the amending statutes. For example, while landlords previously had to ensure that there was a "sufficient number of waste containers" on the property, it is now stipulated - also with regard to the issue of waste separation: "The person responsible for connection must apply to the city for waste containers in such a number and size and to keep available sufficient to be able to collect all the recyclable materials (organic waste, waste paper) and waste regularly generated on the property for disposal from private households and/or other areas of origin in accordance with the statutes.”

Garbage stands
In some cases, employees of SWE Stadtwirtschaft GmbH do not collect waste containers from the street or sidewalk for the purpose of emptying, but rather from pre-defined locations on the property. The specifications for these stands have also been defined more precisely: While previously only a transport route of no more than 10 meters was specified, it is now stipulated that the route must not have a gradient of more than 3% and must have a sure-footed, closed surface. “This takes accident prevention regulations into account,” says Brater. “For example, dragging a garbage can over a steep path made of grass slabs is very problematic when it comes to disposal.”

Old electrical devices
There are also extensive additions to the regulations for the disposal of old electrical devices. In accordance with the amended Electrical Act of the Federal Republic, explanations on the six collection groups for old electrical devices and their take-back systems have now been included in the statutes.

Source: Press releases from the state capital Erfurt