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More blue bins for Bremen: pilot project starts in Osterholz!
Pilot project to increase the use of blue bins started in Osterholz: DBS offers property owners an opt-out solution.
More blue bins for Bremen: pilot project starts in Osterholz!
In the future, there will be a pilot project in Bremen to increase the use of blue bins for paper and cardboard waste. The Bremen City Cleaning Department (DBS) has announced that it will now promote the use of these bins through a new concept. There are currently around 110,000 blue bins available in the city, but around 80,000 households have not yet taken advantage of this option. This could be a relief for the people of Bremen, as collection takes place weekly or every 14 days, depending on the size of the household.
A major concern of DBS is to make the blue bins easier to access. Previously, users had to actively request a bin, but DBS is now planning an opt-out solution. Property owners will soon receive mail with an offer to deliver a blue bin. Only if there is an active objection will no ton be delivered. Interestingly, there is no obligation to use these bins, which means greater flexibility for many households.
Pilot project in Osterholz
The pilot project starts in Osterholz/Mahndorf with a total of 200 property owners and covers 17 streets. The aim is to test different developments and collect information about how many households actually make use of the new regulation. The results of this project could be rolled out to other urban areas as early as October.
A frequently cited obstacle to the use of the blue bin is the lack of space on the properties. According to DBS, this often leads to difficulties such as heavy lifting, non-compliance with specifications and also pollution caused by wind. It remains to be seen whether the new initiative will lead to more Bremen residents using the blue bins. It is currently assumed that around 4,000 of the paper bins are shared.
Paper and waste statistics
A look at the current statistics on paper disposal shows that paper waste has decreased significantly in recent years. In 2019, over 30,000 tons of paper and cardboard were collected; in 2024 there will only be over 18,000 tons. This could be partly due to digital transformation. Interestingly, paper waste from packaging waste increased significantly from 5,700 tons in 2019 to almost 10,000 tons in 2024. Per capita, every person in Bremen left behind almost 50 kilograms of paper waste in 2024, while in 2019 it was still over 62 kilograms. The total amount of waste also fell from 425 kilograms per inhabitant in 2019 to around 400 kilograms in 2024.
It remains exciting to see how the new opt-out solution will affect the usage behavior of Bremen households. DBS is optimistic and sees the blue bins as a practical simplification for the collection and disposal of paper and cardboard.