The disposal of biowaste from private households is the responsibility of the districts and independent cities. Regulations on the management of biowaste are laid down in the individual waste disposal statutes and fee statutes.
These include information on waste fees, waste containers (organic waste garbage cans, ordering options), waste calendars (collection intervals), existing collection and return systems for organic waste (e.g. green waste).
If the public waste management authority does not yet offer a bio-waste garbage can, there are alternative disposal options in the collection system (such as the possibility of dropping off garden waste at recycling centers or container services) and in some cases the use of a bio-waste garbage can by private providers (commercial or non-profit collection).
In addition to the disposal of biowaste through the organic waste garbage can, most statutes mention self-composting as an option for recycling biowaste oneself. If the possibility of self-recycling through composting on one's own property is proven, the citizen can be exempted from the obligation to connect to the organic waste garbage can.
Separate collection and subsequent recycling of biodegradable waste (organic kitchen waste and garden waste) has several advantages for the environment: it reduces the amount of residual waste and simplifies the treatment of residual waste. Separate collection simplifies the high-quality recycling of biowaste through fermentation. In addition, the humus components and nutrients contained in the biowaste can be returned to the natural cycle as fermentation substrate or compost.