By Boris Dombrowski
More and more rubbish ends up on Berlin’s streets, in parks and forests. The disposal costs rose to 5.2 million euros!
Twelve districts, one problem: illegal dumping! Last year alone, the BSR had to dispose of almost 40,000 cubic meters – that’s more than 500 freight wagons full – on behalf of the regulatory authorities. Costs: almost 5.2 million euros – and thus a good 800,000 euros more than in 2019.
It is now worst in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. With 11,248 cubic meters, more than a quarter of all the bulky waste, electronic waste and other waste (e.g. blue bags) illegally disposed of in Berlin in 2021 was simply dumped somewhere here (see also table).
Followed by Neukölln (10,053 cubic meters), “which in the years 2017 to 2020 regularly” held the sad top spot for illegal dumping, according to BSR spokesman Sebastian Harnisch (49) to the BZ
Alarming: “Apparently, a large part of the illegal dumping is not caused by private individuals, but by dubious traders,” says Harnisch. “For example, it could be dubious declutterers who distribute their bulky waste in the area. Or dubious construction companies who dump their rubble somewhere.”
Just junk: sofa and chair on Pankstrasse in Gesundbrunnen Photo: Peter Mueller
Accordingly, in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg alone, according to the district office, the costs of disposing of rubble “roughly doubled within three years”. This shows the still unpublished response from the Senate (available from BZ) to a request from AfD MP Tommy Tabor (40).
Ready for professional disposal: With such stickers, the regulatory office registers illegal waste Photo: Sven Darmer
The topic of dubious companies is also taken up in it. “The Senate response shows that illegal dumping of waste is increasingly being carried out by dodgy disposal companies,” Tabor warns.
Simply parked: a refrigerator in front of a house on Prinzenallee in Gesundbrunnen Photo: Peter Mueller
The politician demands: “There must be close monitoring here: income must be compared with the corresponding costs for proper disposal so that such environmental crimes are discovered!”
And of course “all Berliners are called upon to treat their city with care at all times,” warns Tabor.
Unfortunately, the Senate response proves that the littering of streets, parks and forests has increased significantly! Example in the middle: 987 tons of waste accumulated there in the public parks last year – 331 tons more than in 2020.
Mountains of waste: an illegal heap of bulky waste on the extended Colony Street in Reinickendorf Photo: Peter Mueller
And in the Berlin forests, the costs for waste disposal in the forest rose from almost 77,000 euros in 2019 to a good 103,000 euros last year.
A dilapidated sink: The illegal disposal of rubble has increased significantly in Berlin Photo: Peter Mueller
Garbage also ends up in front of the squatter’s house
The BSR didn’t pick up this pile of rubbish because it’s rubble. But otherwise the rubbish in front of Rigaer Straße 94 goes away quickly.
For years, the left-wing autonomous squatters of the house in Friedrichshain have been putting all the rubbish on their doorstep without hesitation. If police officers discover the junk, they call the city cleaning service. Because the mountains of rubbish could easily become barricades.
Residents of Rigaer Strasse 94 keep throwing rubbish illegally in front of their front door Photo: Spreepicture
If the BSR was on site, the officials have to stop by for a follow-up check to see whether the sidewalk and street are clean again. Always the same game for years.
“In principle, the residents have a round-the-clock clearing service,” says a police officer, “it doesn’t even cost them anything in the end.” Because: The fine office has been for almost a year for those triggered by the police Decisions of the BSR responsible. The agency’s staff later try to identify those responsible to recover the costs.
But the residents of Rigaer Strasse 94 like it that wayt how hopeless …