Bad smells, bacteria, fungal spores and maggots escape from the bin. The BSR refuses the necessary cleaning. It has the monopoly for household waste and therefore doesn’t bother, says Gunnar Schupelius.
The problem is 25 years old and well known, but is still being stubbornly ignored by the BSR: The garbage can for organic waste is a polluter. It is never cleaned and sometimes gives off an unbearable stench. Maggots crawl out from under the lid, bacteria and fungal spores get into the air we breathe.
Anyone who keeps their organic waste bin clean has also lost, because the BSR does not put back the clean bin after it has been emptied, but some other one.
We were able to experience this again for ourselves. In our house, the bin, which is shared by all residents, is in a ventilated garbage room. It was emptied clean.
Nevertheless, after the last emptying, the garbage room was hardly accessible. A bin had been delivered in place of our old one, which gave off such a stench that it even penetrated the apartments through the backyard with the doors closed. Whoever approached the bin inevitably felt a gag in his throat.
So the BSR was alerted, which actually put a clean bin in front of the front door after a few days. But the stinking bin was not picked up. Now we have two tons.
When asked why you didn’t get your own bin back after it was emptied, the BSR gave us the following answer: “The use of interchangeable bins is for logistical reasons: This reduces the downtime for our disposal vehicles in the road area, which is particularly important in narrow streets contributes to a better flow of traffic.”
This may be. The question remains, however, why the BSR distributes stinking bins in the city at all. Couldn’t at least heavily soiled bins be removed from the exchange procedure?
In the case of the restaurants, the BSR has found a good solution. She offers “bins for unpackaged food waste” and writes on the website berlin-recycling.de: “The filled bin is replaced by a clean, disinfected bin so that the catering business does not have to deal with cleaning the bins.”
► Read all of Gunnar Schupelius’ columns
What is offered for gastronomy should also be available to private households. A filter lid on the bio bin would also be helpful, which neutralizes odors with microorganisms. As a result, flies are no longer attracted and there are no maggots. The filter cover is available on the market, but will only be fitted by BSR at an additional cost.
All opportunities to improve hygiene around the organic waste bin are blocked by the city cleaning department under the direction of Stephanie Otto, Chairwoman of the Board.
If you are dissatisfied, you change the service provider. This is not possible in the case of BSR, because it holds the monopoly on household waste disposal. This is politically desired.
This monopoly should be broken, then the BSR would have to prove itself in the competition and would certainly ensure a clean organic waste bin.
Is Gunnar Schupelius right? Call: 030/2591 73153 or email: [email protected]
