FAQ about waste management

Applying for waste containers can be done using the forms for registration, change of address and deregistration. This must be done in writing (by fax or mail) approximately four weeks before the start of the use of the property by the owner. To select the container size, the following guidelines apply, whereby the collection cycle must be observed:

• Residual waste: ten litres per person per week
• Light packaging: ten litres per person per week
• Organic waste: four litres per person per week

80, 120 and 240 litre mixed waste containers are emptied at least every four weeks, larger containers at least every two weeks. The collection of light packaging in yellow bins/sacks and waste paper in municipal blue bins is usually carried out every two weeks.
The organic waste bin is emptied weekly – regardless of how full it is. A property can be exempted from organic waste collection if it can be demonstrated that all organic waste and green waste generated on the property is recycled there.

Information on the emptying dates for waste containers can be found in the collection calendar, via the waste info line, and from the disposal companies responsible for collection. Collection postponements due to public holidays are also included in the current waste guidebook.

Please contact Stadtreinigung Dresden GmbH at: 0351 - 44 55 116. Bin exchange/replacement is available free of charge.
If a municipal blue bin has disappeared or is defective, please contact the waste info line. Municipal blue bins have an address label with a bar code. All other municipal bins can be identified via a transponder chip.

The yellow bins/sacks use the dual system. If you wish to change the container size, use a bin instead of a sack or change the collection frequency, please contact Stadtreinigung Dresden GmbH, Pfotenhauerstraße 46, 01307 Dresden, Germany, phone: 0351 - 44 55 116.

If the waste container has not been emptied on the regular collection day, we recommend that you contact the relevant waste disposal company directly. You can clarify with the waste disposal company in a timely manner why the waste was not collected and when a follow-up collection will take place. 
In the event of emptying problems with the municipal blue bin, call the waste information line.

This is based on the waste management fee statute of the city of Dresden.
You can find an overview of all waste fees here.
Every citizen can influence the level of their own waste charges. Waste reduction and consistent waste separation pay off.

If you have any questions regarding your fee assessment, please contact the fee office at Stadtreinigung Dresden GmbH, Pfotenhauerstraße 46, 01307 Dresden, Germany, phone: 0351 - 44 55 116.

Every household has the possibility of delivering a maximum of four cubic metres of bulky waste (approx. one couch and two chairs) every six months to a municipal recycling depot without an extra fee or to have it collected for a fee.
Fee-free delivery to the recycling depots is possible without prior notification.
Collection can be requested using the order card from the current waste guidebook or via the online form. The disposal company will inform you of the collection date in writing. As a rule, the collection takes place within four weeks. Alternatively, you can order an express collection within thee business days (higher charge). The bulky waste must be made available in a clearly visible place by 7 a.m. on the day of collection or the evening before. The notification of charges for the collection will be sent to you by mail.
Collection directly from an appartment is an additional service (please specify) and increases the costs.

No! Bulky waste is collected by a compactor truck. Refrigerators are included in the electrical appliances that must be disposed of separately.

Most waste medicines from households are not hazardous waste. Disposing of them in the mixed waste is therefore ecologically and economically sensible. They should only ever be disposed of in small quantities and put in the bin in such a way that they are not visible or reachable when the bin is opened.
The following applies to all waste medicines: Under no circumstances do they belong in the sink or in the toilet. In water, they can cause serious damage.

The city of Dresden does not offer a municipal container service. You can hire a private container service or a transport company. You can find addresses on the internet or in the Yellow Pages. The price for collection and disposal is to be agreed with the company.

Yellow bags for the collection of light packaging (green dot) are available without an extra fee. Mixed waste sacks printed with the imprint 'Landeshauptstadt Dresden, Abfallsack, Gebühr bezahlt', for use in the event of a short-term increase in waste volume, are subject to a charge.
These waste bags can be placed next to the waste containers on collection day. In the themed city map, all reference points for refuse sacks are shown.

Typical household hazardous substances up to a maximum of 25 litres can be delivered without an extra fee all year round to the recycling depots (except for the Leuben and Loschwitz  recycling depot). In addition, the mobile hazardous waste vehicle goes around the city in spring and autumn. At many locations, hazardous substances of up to 25 litres are accepted without an extra fee at fixed times.