Sort your rubbish, return your bottles
Mülltrennung und Pfand
Germany separates paper, packaging, organic waste, glass and the rest, and you get money back for bottles and cans.
The rule
Most homes have several bins. The colours differ a little between cities, but usually: blue paper and cardboard, yellow bin or bag plastic and metal packaging, brown food and garden waste, black or grey everything else (Restmüll).
Glass goes into public containers, sorted by colour: white, brown and green (blue and other colours go into green). Many cities allow throwing glass only on working days during the day, because it is loud.
Deposit (Pfand): plastic bottles and cans with the deposit logo cost 25 cents extra; you get it back in any shop that sells that kind of packaging, usually at a machine. Reusable glass bottles have a smaller deposit, usually 8 or 15 cents.
Batteries, electronics and old medicines do not go into the normal bins. Supermarkets take batteries; electronics go to the city's recycling centre.
Your city has a waste calendar (Abfallkalender) with the collection days, often in an app.
What it costs
| If you… | Fine or cost |
|---|---|
| Wrong sorting or leaving rubbish next to the bins | depends on the city; often a warning or extra costs for the whole house first |
| Deposit bottles in the normal bin | no fine, but you lose 25 cents each |
India vs Germany
In India, the kabadiwala buys newspapers and bottles. In Germany, the machine in the supermarket pays you for bottles and cans, and the yellow bag is collected for free.
German words for this
- der Müll · rubbish
- die Mülltrennung · waste sorting
- der Restmüll · general waste
- das Pfand · deposit
- der Pfandautomat · bottle return machine
- der Glascontainer · glass container
Official sources
Last checked: 8 November 2026, against the official sources named on each page. General information for learners, not legal advice: rules can change and some depend on your state or city. If something matters for you, check the official source or ask the office.
Learn the German for everyday life
DeutschKatha has short stories and real conversations about life in Germany, at the Bürgeramt, the bank or the doctor, with every word explained in English and Indian languages.