Zero Waste

Upcycling - too good to throw away
The Selbsthilfe 91 e. V. project shows how new products can be created from old furniture, toys, pallets or decorative items. It combines resource conservation with creativity and a voluntary hands-on programme for the long-term unemployed. You can find more information here.

ZEUX - Materialinitiative Chemnitz
ZEUX rescues materials such as wood, metal, plastic, textiles and technology from disposal and makes them available for new projects. The initiative thus combines resource conservation, upcycling and creative uses in Chemnitz. You can find more information here

Fashion Revolution Chemnitz
The initiative raises awareness of sustainable clothing consumption and shows alternatives to fast fashion. With clothes swaps, mending workshops, talks and other activities, it invites people to use clothes more consciously and keep them in circulation for longer. You can find more information here

Computertruhe e. V.
Computertruhe e. V. refurbishes donated computers, laptops, smartphones and other hardware and passes them on to people in need and charitable organisations free of charge. This enables digital participation and functional devices are used for longer. You can find more information at here

Die Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has tested the decomposability of so-called "bio-plastic packaging" at a representative composting plant.

<p>The products tested included biowaste collection bags and to-go cups, which only disintegrated into pieces after standardised treatment and severely impaired the compost quality. Other products made from "bioplastics", such as coffee capsules, disposable plates, bar packaging, shoes and disposable razors were virtually unchanged after the usual four to five weeks of composting.

<p>Unfortunately, many environmentally conscious citizens, including in Chemnitz, use precisely these products, which are heavily advertised by the industry, in their own households, including for the collection of their organic waste or in the to-go area. This is confirmed by a DUH waste management survey.

<p>This often results in additional costs for the population on a voluntary basis, but this does not have the desired effect of relieving the environment and reducing the volume of waste.

Our city's own waste disposal and city cleaning company (ASR) also confirms this and therefore asks: Plastic bags do not belong in the organic waste bin, not even those made from so-called "bioplastics".

Sources:
www.duh.de/bioplastik
www.duh.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/pressemitteilung/repraesentative-umfrage-belegt-verbraucherinnen-und-verbraucher-gehen-falschen-umweltversprechungen/

E-cigarettes and disposable e-cigarettes must not be disposed of with household waste. They are considered waste electrical and electronic equipment and fall under the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act.

In addition to plastic components, they contain batteries or rechargeable batteries and sometimes liquid residues. In the case of disposable e-cigarettes, these components cannot usually be replaced or removed separately. Used e-cigarettes must therefore be handed in at municipal recyclables collection centres or other designated return points and must not be disposed of with household waste. It contaminates household waste, makes sorting more difficult and can lead to higher recycling and disposal costs.</p

<p>Disposable e-cigarettes are also particularly resource-intensive. They are only used for a short time, but contain valuable raw materials, especially lithium-ion batteries. Disposing of them with household waste therefore also means a loss of recyclable materials.</p

A year, 1.5 billion batteries are sold in Germany, but only just under half of these are returned. In order to increase the return rate, the take-back systems DS Entsorgungs- und Dienstleistungs-GmbH, Gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Servicegesellschaft mbH, ÖcoRecell | IFA-Ingenieur-gesellschaft für Abfallwirtschaft und Umweltlogistik mbH, REBAT | RLG Systems AG and Stiftung Gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Batterien have launched the "Batterie-zurück" initiative. It aims to sensitise consumers with regard to the return of batteries.</p

<p>Federal Environment Agency - Batteries and waste batteries

The reusable packaging obligation has been in force throughout Germany since 2023. This is regulated in Section 33 of the Packaging Act. According to this, final distributors, such as cafés, bistros and restaurants, must also offer reusable packaging as an alternative to the previous disposable packaging when selling takeaway food and drinks.

The decisive factor here is that the vendors fill the containers themselves and do not just sell pre-packaged goods. The price of the reusable variant must not be higher than that of the previous disposable packaging. In addition, there must be clearly visible information indicating the reusable packaging. Deposit systems are permitted and sellers only have to take back the reusable packaging that they have issued themselves.

Smaller catering establishments with a maximum size of 80 square metres and no more than five employees are exempt. However, these businesses must fill their food and drinks into reusable crockery brought in by customers on request. In addition, food packaging that is not made of disposable plastic, such as pizza boxes, etc., is exempt from the obligation^.1

To reduce avoidable waste, it is also up to consumers to use reusable packaging. If you have any questions, you can contact the Environment Agency by e-mail or telephone.

Source
1 www.bmuv.de/faq/was-bedeutet-die-neue-mehrwegpflicht-im-to-go-bereich

A standardised system for reusable cups was launched in Chemnitz city centre on 25 July 2022 with the distribution of an initial batch of around 5,600 cups to interested Chemnitz businesses, restaurateurs and craft businesses. The aim is to reduce the use of disposable cups in Chemnitz and keep the city clean.

The blue reusable cups bear the name Chemnitz Cup and have a capacity of 0.3 litres. One part has been printed with the "Chemnitz City" logo, while another part will probably feature the logo of the Capital of Culture. The cups have therefore also become part of the communication campaign for the European Capital of Culture 2025. The cup, which like the lid is made of recyclable plastic, costs a 1 euro deposit.

This fulfils a decision made by the city council. The aim was to develop a reusable cup system for Chemnitz that includes a deposit and flexible return system. The Mayor for Law, Safety and Environmental Protection, Miko Runkel, the site coordinators of the ChemnitzCity.de initiative, Sylvia Stölzel and Sven Hertwig, and the representative of the company Relocal, Jens Preißler, were involved in the development. Other partners are the Chemnitz Chamber of Crafts, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Chemnitz University of Technology, the Environmental Centre and the Environmental Agency.

The system is open. Interested retailers can still join. The beverage cups were purchased from the Chemnitz-based supplier Relocal. This company has other reusable products on offer that participating businesses can purchase as required, independently of the City of Chemnitz, and distribute in the deposit system. The aim is to establish a network for reusable products in Chemnitz in the medium term.

The introduction of the Chemnitz reusable cup was subsidised by tax funds as part of the Zero Waste project on the basis of the budget approved by the members of the Saxon state parliament.