Disposal

Concept "Clean Stuttgart"

"Less waste. More Stuttgart" summarizes the goal of the "Clean Stuttgart" concept. It consists of the four pillars of prevention, increased cleaning, control and fines as well as public relations work.

31.01.2024

Pedestrians in Königstraße, in the foreground a sweeper with the slogan "Stuttgart macht's rein" (Stuttgart cleans up).

Among other things, 45 new cleaning vehicles were purchased to implement the "Clean Stuttgart" concept. cleaning vehicles were purchased.

In December 2017, the city council of the state capital approved a budget of ten million euros per year to implement this package of measures - including more staff, more wastebaskets, new vehicles and more controls with higher fines.

Prevention

The best waste is that which is not produced at all. That is why prevention is so important. For this reason, the state capital of Stuttgart informs citizens on the subject and offers waste advice in schools, kindergartens and clubs, among other places. Waste prevention initiatives are developed and promoted. For more than 20 years, the Förderverein Sicheres und Clean Stuttgart e.V. has been organizing campaigns and supporting private projects and launching its own projects to reduce waste in public spaces. It works very closely with the city.

Returnable deposit cup for Stuttgart

Another element of prevention is a reusable deposit system for coffee-to-go cups. The state capital supported its introduction with the aim of curbing the large number of disposable cups and the resulting waste. The competitive selection process for the deposit system was won by the Die Firma reCup GmbH.

In Stuttgart, the Recup returnable cups are available here:

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Why a reusable deposit system?

According to a 2019 study by the Federal Environment Agency, people in Germany consume around 2.8 billion disposable cups for hot drinks each year - the equivalent of around 320,000 cups per hour. Many of these end up on the street. The disposable cups consist mainly of paper fibers and are coated with plastic on the inside. The coating makes recycling almost impossible, which leads to an enormous waste of resources when it comes to disposal.

Reinforced cleaning

Stuttgart is to become cleaner? The city doesn't just talk, it acts: 123 new positions were created, 45 new vehicles were purchased and 1,000 additional wastebaskets were successively installed. Overall, cleaning performance has increased by more than a third. Fountains, playgrounds and soccer fields are also checked and cleaned more frequently; a "chewing gum removal machine" is now in full operation, using a water pressure of 200 bar to remove the sticky residue without the use of chemicals.

Control and fines

New wastebaskets are good. But it takes a willingness to actually use them. That's why the city is appealing to citizens to support it in its efforts to keep Stuttgart clean. Those who nevertheless do not follow the rules and carelessly throw away their glass bottles, cigarette butts, packaging waste and other garbage will pay a fine. To improve control, the staff of the city's enforcement service and the Environmental Protection Office have been increased. In this way, the city is taking targeted action against litterers and littering. If you don't listen, you have to pay.

Examples from the list of fines
Cigarette butt or chewing gum	at least 75 euros*
Banana peels, handkerchiefs, plastic bottles, paper cups, cigarette or pizza packets	75 Euro* up to 250 Euro*
Glass bottles or shards, i.e. sharp-edged or cutting objects	100 Euro* to 800 Euro*
Dog poop not cleared away	75 Euro* to 250 Euro*

* plus 28,50 Euro administrative fee

Public Relations

"Stuttgart macht's rein": The publicity campaign is a component of the "Clean Stuttgart" concept, with which the city administration is taking up the fight against littering in public places and parks.

In order to make as many Stuttgart residents as possible aware of the problem of litter, the "Stuttgart macht's rein" publicity campaign has a broad base with advertising on large billboards, city light posters throughout the city and light rail info screens as well as radio and cinema spots. There are also large stickers on litter bins, postcards, social media campaigns and a dedicated website (opens in a new tab) with further information.

Campaign page "Stuttgart macht's rein"

Here you can find all information and pictures about the campaign for a Clean Stuttgart.

State capital Stuttgart

Concept "Clean Stuttgart"

Prevention

Returnable deposit cup for Stuttgart

Why a reusable deposit system?

Reinforced cleaning

Control and fines

Public Relations

Campaign page "Stuttgart macht's rein"

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