Munich plans to introduce new Gelbe Tonne recycling bin

Disposing of general recycling will get easier in Munich, according to a new local government plan to introduce more Gelbe Tonne bins. Here’s what locals need to know:

Munich to change recycling rules from 2027

Munich’s waste management association AWM, has announced that it will add a Gelbe Tonne (yellow waste bin) to the selection of recycling bins located directly outside people’s houses. 

Until now, residents in Munich were required to take Gelbe Tonne waste to a shared “Wertstoffinsel” (general waste island), a pavement island in residential areas where they could throw away Gelbe Tonne rubbish in larger bins.

Since these Werstoffinseln would quickly overflow and smell in hot weather, the city has opted to place Gelbe Tonne wheely bins directly outside people's houses or in the courtyard of a block of flats, as is already the case in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and other German cities.

What goes in Munich's new Gelbe Tonne?

A colour-coded recycling bin system is in place across Germany, with blue bins (Blaue Tonne) used for paper and cardboard, brown bins for organic waste (Biomüll) and grey bins for general, unrecyclable waste (Restmüll). As with the new Gelbe Tonne rules, this system can have regional variations.

Waste disposed of in the Gelbe Tonne includes: plastic milk bottles, Tetra Pak cartons, yoghurt pots, aluminium foil, plastic food containers, tin cans for food and drink

Local authorities hope that the new system will make rubbish disposal easier and tidier in the Bavarian capital. Waste collection fees, which are often charged via Nebenkostenabrechnungen (utility bills), will be unchanged under the new system.

While all of Munich’s main political parties have already voiced support for the change, on June 5, local government will confirm whether the city will go ahead with the plans.