Zum Hauptinhalt springen
Hochkontrast-AnsichtInfo-Center

Information in English

The waste management corporation of Munich (Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München, AWM) ensures the proper collection and management of household and commercial waste in and around Munich with a focus on citizens and the environment. Our core business of waste management has developed into a resource-efficient, closed-circle economy during recent years.

On the following pages you will find a brief overview of the waste disposal system in Munich. The links on this website will take you to the German-language website where you can find more details. If you have any questions, please call our information centre at +49 89 233 9620-0 from Mon - Thu 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Fri 8:00 am - 2:00 pm) or send us an email at awm@muenchen.de Please note that we are only able to respond to queries in German.

How to seperate your waste correctly in Munich

The Munich waste management company collects the bins for residual, paper and green waste. How to separate waste (PDF).

Grey residual waste bin

Unrecyclable waste goes into the grey residual waste bin. This waste will be burned in our advanced combined heat and power station and converted into electricity and district heating.

What belongs here:

  • Nappies, sanitary towels
  • Plastic bin bags
  • Vacuum cleaner bags
  • Wax paper, coated or dirty paper, carbon or copy paper
  • Plastic film, wallpaper, carpet pieces
  • Sweepings, ashes, pet litter, cigarette butts
  • Dried paint

Warning: Never put electronic or problem waste (such as paints, energy-saving lamps, batteries or similar items) into the residual waste bin. These must be brought to a local hazardous waste collection point for disposal.

Blue paper bin

Paper waste that can be recycled into new paper should be put into the blue paper bin.

What belongs here:

  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Flattened cardboard boxes
  • Wrapping paper minus adhesive tape
  • Catalogues and brochures
  • Notebooks
  • Books without covers
  • Forms and computer paper
  • Letters and envelopes
  • Clean paper bags
  • Packaging made from paper
  • Cigarette boxes minus foil paper and film wrap
  • Chocolate boxes minus plastic

Brown organic waste bin

Organic waste should be put into the brown organic waste bin. IT then goes into our dry fermentation system and is converted into electricity and potting soil.

What belongs here:

  • Fruit and vegetable waste
  • Potato peels and eggshells
  • Coffee filters, tea bags
  • Meat, bones, fish, cooked leftovers and dressed salads
  • Wilted flowers
  • Potted plants (without the pot)
  • Garden waste such as leaves, grass, weeds
  • Tree and shrub prunings, potting soil
  • Paper towels, paper serviettes, kitchen roll
  • Newspaper crumpled to absorb moisture

Bulky waste

Bulky waste is waste that is too large to fit into the residual waste bin, e.g. furniture, refrigerators, old bicycles and similar items. You can dispose of up to 2 sq m of bulky waste per day (approximately the equivalent of a fully loaded estate car) free of charge at one of our local civic waste collection points. You can view the locations and opening hours here.

The following can be brought to your local civic waste collection point for disposal:

  • Used clothing
  • Construction waste
  • Electronic waste
  • Garden waste
  • Wood
  • Problem waste
  • Winter road sand
  • Recyclable waste and large packaging

If you require assistance for disposing your bulky waste, our bulky waste collection service will pick up your items for a fee.

Packaging waste

Metal, glass and plastic packaging can be brought to one of the recycling points for disposal. You can view a list of over 1000 recycling points in Munich (organized by district) here. Plastic packaging that is too large to fit into the container can be brought to a local civic waste collection point for disposal.

Waste avoidance

The best waste is no waste at all. We offer several services on our website to help you:

Flea market portal for Munich and the surrounding area: Here you can find hundreds of flea markets where you can buy and sell items.

Second hand guide for Munich and the surrounding area: over 300 shops where you can buy inexpensive used items such as clothing, toys, furniture and books.

Repair guide for Munich and the surrounding area: IT is better to repair something than to throw IT away. Here are many shops where anything can be repaired.

Rental guide for Munich and the surrounding area: IT is often cheaper to rent equipment for occasional use than to buy IT. Almost anything can be rented, including tools, computer games, DVDs, formal dress and sports equipment.

Freecycling portal for Munich and the surrounding area: You can find things here that others do not need anymore and are simply giving away for free.