Where to put packaging? Proper waste separation after shopping — Extremnews — The slightly different news

If your favorite jeans can’t stand another wash, the hole in your sneakers is finally too big, or you need an elegant evening dress for the weekend party, it’s time to go shopping. When you go to the store or boutique, some packaging also goes into your shopping bag. “Plastic, paper, or cardboard packaging contains a lot of raw materials. They can be recycled. If you dispose of them properly at home after shopping, you help to conserve raw materials. For example, new products can be made from recycled packaging,” explains Axel Subklew, spokesperson for the “Waste Separation Works” initiative. The dual systems initiative in Germany explains how to properly separate waste and recycle packaging. It has put together some helpful tips for packaging waste after shopping.

Tips: Properly dispose of packaging from your shopping trip

• Textile packaging made of plastic, such as transparent plastic bags, for example for men’s shirts, briefs or underwear, goes in the yellow bin or yellow bag. This also applies to individual protective films or other stabilizing plastic packaging components.




• Lightweight clothing covers made of plastic, stretch or bubble wrap to protect delicate textiles such as evening dress or suit fabrics also belong in the yellow bin or yellow bag.




• Paper packaging, including transparent bags made of glassine paper as well as crumpled, tissue or wrapping paper, are disposed of as waste paper. Plastic padding or filling material, on the other hand, goes into the yellow bin or yellow bag.




• Cardboard boxes that are no longer usable, such as shoe boxes, belong in the waste paper. High-quality cardboard packaging or boxes can protect delicate textiles even after purchase and can be used for longer. Boxes with a viewing window, for example for underwear, should be taken apart if possible and then disposed of: cardboard or paperboard in the waste paper, the film for the viewing window in the yellow bin or yellow bag.




• Clothes pegs for men’s shirts, hangers and small plastic hangers for stockings, bras or underwear go in the yellow bin or yellow bag. This also applies to metal hangers if they are part of the packaging. If the accessories are made of cardboard, such as coat hangers that are packaged with the packaging, they belong in the waste paper.




• Paper or cardboard hanging labels for price, brand or product descriptions go in the waste paper bin. Their plastic fastening straps can be disposed of in the yellow bin or yellow bag. Ribbons made of fabric or metal also belong there, as they are also part of the packaging.




• Another trip to the perfumery? Used folding, hinged or sliding boxes made of paper and cardboard for cosmetics or perfume go in the waste paper. This also applies to their inner packaging, for example paper inserts. Transparent outer packaging made of cellophane and other packaging components made of plastic belong in the yellow bin or yellow bag.

Reuse: shopping bags or paper carrier bags

In Germany, a ban on single-use plastic carrier bags has been in place since 2022. Nevertheless, they are still offered in many shops: Exempt from the ban are plastic bags with a thicker wall (more than 50 micrometers), which can be used multiple times due to their higher density. Whether made of plastic or paper: the more often a carrier bag is used, the better for resources, the environment and the climate. If they are no longer usable, plastic bags belong in the yellow bin or yellow bag, paper carrier bags go in the waste paper collection.

Wardrobe equipped?

Have you sorted out your favorite jeans with holes in them and your evening dress that’s too small? Then you first need to check whether the clothes are still not wearable and usable. If so, they should be reused! There are many options for this: from flea markets to clothing swaps to commercial and non-profit collections of used clothing and textiles. Only items of clothing that are unusable, for example broken or heavily soiled, should be disposed of. They belong in the general waste or at the nearest recycling center.

Source: Initiative “Waste separation works” (ots)