Having a robust waste disposal system allows for people to dispose of things they no longer need and keep their community clean and healthy.
From my perspective, Germans tend to be a bit more environmentally conscious than Americans, and I think their waste disposal system reflects this. Most households compost vegetables, coffee grounds and other compostable items instead of throwing them away. They also recylce plastic packaging instead of throwing it away. Additionally, instead of throwing plastic and glass bottles into the recycling bin, Germans bring their plastic bottles to the supermarket to recycle because they get around 0.25 cents back per bottle.
The waste collection and disposal system here in Dresden is well-organized and meets the needs of the community. In my apartment, we have separate bins for plastic packaging, compostable materials, trash, paper and glass. In the courtyard of the apartment, there are large bins for all of these same categories. People bring the waste from their apartments down to these bins in the courtyard. These big bins are pulled to the curb in front of our apartment once a week for collection by big trucks from Dresden's waste management services.
