Culture and society

Where should the trash go?

Different garbage cans to separate out trash.
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Germans produce over 600 kilograms of trash per capita every year. If you live in a rented apartment in Germany, you are required to separate your trash for recycling. Usually, there are trashcans with blue lids for newspapers and paper, a green or brown lid for compost and greenery, and a gray lid for normal trash. You put plastic and packaging into the trash bins with the yellow lids, but not plastic bottles! In Germany, you pay a deposit of 25 euro cents on plastic bottles, which you can redeem at the grocery store.