Blick auf den Bodensse
Blick auf den Bodensse

Disposal of household waste

Residual waste, organic waste, recyclable packaging

Please dispose of your waste in the corresponding bins at the waste collection points in the corridors.


Residual waste 

Residual waste includes any substances that cannot be recycled as well as materials that are too soiled for recycling.

  •  used tissues and paper towels
  • coated or contaminated paper
  • light bulbs or halogen lamps
  • broken dishes
  • used cleaning rags and sponges
  • cigarette butts
  • sweepings
  •  nappies

Residual waste must not include any hazardous materials!

You must ensure that there is no risk of injury to the cleaning staff.

Pointed or sharp-edged waste such as needles, scalpels, broken dishes, broken light bulbs etc. must be disposed of in solid and safely sealed plastic containers.

Organic waste

Organic waste includes:

  • unpackaged food scraps
  • coffee filters and tea bags
  • plants and potting soil
  • small amounts of paper towels or newspaper that, for example, are used to wrap up meat and fish scraps

"Gelber Sack" bin for recyclable packaging

As per the Dual Systems, used and residue-emptied packaging that is not made of paper, cardboard, carton or glass is disposed of via the yellow bags.

These bins are located in the corridors and in the “Auspackraum” (central waste collection point) in M 541. All packaging materials must be empty and not contain any liquids. Please save water and only rinse particularly smelly containers.

The following should be disposed of in the "Gelber Sack" bin:

  • milk and beverage cartons
  • plastic bottles
  • yoghurt cups (lid completely removed)
  • plastic bags, plastic foil

The most sustainable way to recycle metal (tin cans, drink cans, metal fasteners, aluminium containers, aluminium lids and aluminium foil) as well as foamed plastic parts and polystyrene is to dispose of them separately in the corresponding bins in the “Auspackroom” (central waste collection point) in M 541.

Waste paper and cartons 

Waster paper includes:

  • newspapers, magazines, brochures
  • books (please remove bindings if these are not made from paper)
  • writing, copying and printing paper
  • cartons, cardboard, wrapping paper
  • paper towels

The following items should be disposed of as residual waste and not as waste paper:

  •  blank folder
  • coated and glossy paper (e.g. wax or oil paper, self-adhesive labels, fax paper, photo paper, picture postcards)
  • dirty paper (e.g. papers or pizza boxes soiled by food)

As per the University of Konstanz’s Brandschutzordnung (fire safety directive) for staff, you should dispose of waste paper by putting it in the bins with the self-closing lids placed at regular intervals along the corridors or take it to the “Auspackraum” (central waste collection point) in M 541.

Please fold larger quantities of paper and cardboard and ensure that the lid closes. Do not leave any cartons next to the bins!

If possible, remove tape, paper clips and staples!


Please remove the plastic padding from padded envelopes and put it in the yellow bins.


Document shredder

If you need to shred paper files for data protection purposes, please use the shredder in the “Auspackraum” (central waste collection point) in M 541.

Empty file folders are disposed of as residual waste.

Information about how to dispose of data storage drives