January 29, 2024, 3:12 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Many are familiar with this: While you’re still lying in bed early in the morning, there’s a clatter outside the house, and you’re abruptly awakened. The garbage collection is here! But why are the bins always emptied so early in the morning? myHOMEBOOK investigated.
Originally, you just wanted to enjoy the morning calm, get up leisurely, or maybe just sleep in—and then comes the noise! When the garbage collection does its work in the early morning hours and empties the bins, it can get quite loud. Of course, there are exceptions, possibly in rural areas. But if you’re rudely awakened in the morning, you might wonder why the garbage collection always comes so early. myHOMEBOOK has the answer.
Why the Garbage Collection Always Comes in the Morning
It’s clear that the employees of waste disposal companies don’t intend to annoy residents by loudly emptying bins in the morning. Rather, it’s mandated for them. myHOMEBOOK checked with the Association of Municipal Companies. They state that the collection of waste by garbage trucks is legally regulated. Accordingly, garbage collection is generally allowed to empty bins in residential areas between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. This applies not only to garbage bins but also to glass containers.
“This time window is intended to create work shifts and account for uncertainties and possible delays, such as blocked loading areas, traffic jams, traffic disruptions due to construction sites, accidents, etc.,” says a VKU spokesperson. She further explains that during the working hours of the waste workers, not only must the waste collection routes be completed, but the waste must also be brought to the disposal facility and the garbage trucks returned to the depot. According to VKU, there are no differences between city and country—the waste collection time window applies equally to both regions.
Fallen fruit in the garden? This is what you should do with it
Using District Heating – Key Questions and Answers
Are There Exceptions?
According to legal regulations, waste disposal companies are not allowed to empty bins before 7 a.m. But there are legally regulated exceptions. The federal states can resort to these if required in the public interest. This is explained by Sebastian Harnisch from the Berlin City Cleaning Service (BSR) to myHOMEBOOK.
In Berlin, for example, there is such an exception, allowing garbage collection to empty bins before 7 a.m. “Ensuring waste disposal in the state of Berlin generally requires, due to the urban traffic situation, that garbage bins are provided and collected starting at 6 a.m.,” says Harnisch. This way, garbage trucks can avoid the morning rush hour and school traffic.
https://oembed/myhomebook/affiliate/4c3ea737801fc43d42e57f08edfc2a998b1a35849b8108bdd2d35f6ed2d471a2/8e6e2b30-0677-421d-83d2-e1e4481878f8/embed
How to Dispose of Garbage Properly
To ensure the garbage collection actually empties the bins, you should separate your waste correctly. In this article, you will learn which waste belongs in which bin. If the garbage is left behind, there could be other reasons—find out here.