Recycling centers in the Neu-Ulm district: Big cuts for employees!

Recycling centers in the Neu-Ulm district: Big cuts for employees!

A significant upheaval is imminent in waste management in the Neu-Ulm district. From January 1, 2024, responsibility for waste management will be transferred back from the Knittel company to the Neu-Ulm district. This affects eleven cities and municipalities in the region, which now have to prepare for possible changes. Employees are already active at recycling centers and monitor waste separation. They point out errors in the sorting of waste and ensure that the separation of materials goes as smoothly as possible. But the retransfer could not only bring about new processes, but also mean significant cuts for the numerous employees who work in this area. As the Augsburger Allgemeine reports, many of these changes raise questions that affect the public and employees alike.

But what does this actually mean for waste management in 2026? An important innovation will be the separate collection of organic waste, which begins in the area of ​​responsibility of the Neu-Ulm waste management company (AWB). The basis for this is the Federal Government's Circular Economy Act, which will bring the mandatory separate collection of organic waste into force from January 1, 2026. As part of a demand survey, property owners receive new residual waste containers that are equipped with a chip. This chip enables a user-pays fee system that is registered via a reader in the garbage truck. Owners of properties that border one another can use shared waste bins upon request. The fee structure also plays a major role here, whereby the annual fee for the organic waste bin is independent of the number of emptyings, while the emptying fee for the residual waste bin depends on the quantity. This step could bring new challenges for many owners, according to AWB Neu-Ulm.

Waste management in transition

Waste management in Germany has changed significantly in the last few decades. Where disposal was previously the focus, the focus has increasingly shifted to the circular economy. This change began in the 19th century, when the first legal basis for waste disposal was created. For historical reasons, the Waste Disposal Act was introduced in 1972, which brought the first uniform regulations in this area. With the updated EU Waste Framework Directive of 2018 and the amended Circular Economy Act of 2020, further important steps were taken to improve waste recycling and prevention, as the Umweltbundesamt shows.

In Germany, around 350 million tons of waste are generated every year, and the waste hierarchy is clearly defined: from prevention to recycling to disposal. In order to further promote the resource-saving handling of waste, mandatory separate collections for various types of waste have been stipulated by law since 2015. We are currently faced with the challenge of not only making waste management efficient, but also making the population actively take responsibility. This means that every individual can make a contribution to sorting and disposing of waste - and should be made aware of it.

With the upcoming changes and retransfers in Neu-Ulm County, the time has come to prepare for a new chapter in waste management. The developments in the coming years could be of great importance for both citizens and employees in the waste sector. So stay tuned for all the latest information!