Green & Yellow

Der grüne Punkt - The green dot
Die gelbe Tonne  - The yellow bin

Part of the rubbish systems in Germany "Der Grüne Punkt" and "Der Gelbe Sack" show perfectly how difficult the German language is.

Adjectives are always in small letters unless you make a brand name out of it. But the endings change all over the place:
Die gelbe Sack - The yellow bag
Gelber Sack - Yellow bag
des gelben Sackes - of the yellow bag
In den gelben Sack - in the yellow bag
Gelbe Säcke - yellow bags

Getting it right is far more difficult than the laws on rubbish disposal which simply require a Masters Degree. And from 1st January 2019, the German Rubbish Lawcomes into force. All commercial businesses using any type of packaging have to register themselves and the packaging itself with an approved recycling system. This includes every little online business that produces handmade wooden widgets and then sends it to a customer in any type of packaging e.g. box with styrofoam chips. This will include paying a license fee to the recycling system determined on the amount and type of packaging. And it applies to any foreign business exporting to Germany!

Germany is often quoted as being a "leader" in recycling, not a claim the Germans themselves make though. They are leaders in using packaging and it is therefore not difficult to get a high rating for the amount recycled, not in % but in weight/quantity. But they know and accept this and so the new law sets out to reduce packaging AND increase the %-reycling rate, most materials to around 80% in 2019 and 90% by 2022. And these are legally binding targets.

The whole rubbish disposal/recycling business for us end consumers does seem very complicated but the Germans like rules and once understood they are pretty good at following them. The nice bit at least at first glance is that the council charges for rubbish collection have generally fallen. No doubt we pay though by the "hidden" charges manufacturers put on their goods and services that use packaging.

Today we got the latest bit of kit delivered - Die Gelbe Tonne which will replace Der Gelbe Sack on 1st January 2019 and theoretically means all our normal plastic and tin packaging placed in the bins will be collected every four weeks. Up until then, we have to take them in yellow plastic bags to the recycling yard. We are legally obliged to separate rubbish - no paper, plastic, metal, electronic parts, glass, tetra packs or compostables allowed in the pure rubbish bin. Judging by our current use of yellow bags, I can't imagine that we will manage to last 4 weeks. We can survive very easily with our rubbish bin for well over 4 weeks although it is collected every fortnight.

But we have to get to grips with the problem.

Seemingly the UK is going through yet another recycling crisis notably with plastic and councils about to give up!  You would think with such a results-focused government the problem could be solved in a couple of weeks if not days. Today I got the next batch of emails about their detailed action plan on Brexit. We have in previous weeks done such topics as "Trade in Rough Diamonds" or using Australian Government pictures of cancer-ridden lungs as warnings on UK cigarette packets but today was:
1) the new health markings on meat, fish and dairy products
2) exporting GM food and animal feed products
3) developing environmental principles and accountability
4) a pdf "Partnership pack" to help support businesses for no deal
5) Draft Financial Conglomerates and Other Financial Groups Regulations
6) Draft Ring-fenced Bodies Regulations
7) Financial services legislation under the EU Withdrawal Act
8) EU Settlement Scheme: evidence of UK residence
9) PM's statement on European Council: 22 October 2018 (to parliament)

And this just on one day. So while we battle with rubbish on 1st January 2019, the UK will be busy trying to dodge the EU rules that come into force on that day, controlling and separating investment banking from private banking and thus help to avoid the financial crises that have happened thanks to the city whizzkids speculating with our savings money. It's good to know the likes of Farage and Mogg, with their stashed away fortunes, will be able to blissfully sleep in peace knowing their government is looking after their best interests and the Germans are fighting with rubbish and grammer.

Oh ... the photo shows me collecting the bin from our entrance before the empty bin gets crushed by the speeding cars. Farmer Andreas taking out his slurry rubbish before the rain comes on Wednesday and, goodness knows how being overtaken by a car just a few metres after a blind corner where the cars are travelling at least at 100km/h and often much much faster. This is a "State Road" known in all but one other German state as "Landestrasse" but in Bavaria as "Staatsstrasse" and thus any speed limit etc is the responsibility of the Bavarian State and not the County or Parish council! German laws on roads will be the subject of another Blip. Bet you can't wait!