Over the past 30 years or so, waste management in Germany has evolved to be increasingly environmentally-conscious. In New York, we separate our waste into only three or four different categories, including cardboard/mixed paper, metal/glass/plastic/cartons, non-recyclable trash and some people compost their food waste as well. In Germany, they separate out paper, white glass, colored glass, biodegradable goods, trash and plastic/metal all into different garbage bins. They also take bottles and cans to the grocery store and put them in a machine to get back a deposit, between 0.8 and 0.25 cents per item. These materials are either recycled and reused or they go to waste-to-energy plants which burn waste to generate electricity.
Germany has one of the highest recycling rates in the world. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, 79% of waste was recovered in 2012. Berlin, however, is behind the curve, recycling only 42% of waste in 2012 acccording to the Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment. This statistic reveals Berlin's need for further waste management solutions.
