Latest news with #MünchnerMerkur
Local Germany
15-05-2025
- General
- Local Germany
Why Munich residents are getting yellow recycling bins for the first time
The city of Munich plans to revamp its waste collection system with the introduction of yellow bins from the beginning of 2027. This follows a pilot test in which the city's waste management company (AWM) had placed yellow bins – for collecting a mix of food packaging, metals and plastics – in certain neighbourhoods. Following positive feedback from both residents and AWM, the yellow bin system is to be implemented throughout the Bavarian capital. Perhaps more exciting than the introduction of a new bin in itself, the yellow bins are to be placed in residential buildings alongside other waste bins – so Munich residents can skip those extra trips to the city's infamous recycling islands in future. What are the yellow bins? Yellow bins, as seen in Berlin and other German cities, are for food packaging, metals and plastics. The containers themselves are often called Gelbe Tonne (yellow bin) and the stuff that goes in them is called Werbstoffe (recyclable materials). Or, more specifically, it's Verkaufsverpackungen aus Metall, Kunstoff und Verbundstoffen (sales packaging made of metal, plastic and composite materials). Much of this can be recycled, which is why it's helpful to be pre-emptively separated from the general waste. Things that belong in the yellow bin include: Beverage and milk cartons Plastic packaging (bottles, foils, bags) Plastic objects (bowls, buckets, toys) Tin cans and tubes Aluminium foil and trays Metal objects (cooking pots, pans, tools) Advertisement The end of the infamous recycling islands Waste collection in Germany is organised by local governments, so bin colours as well as the general protocol for separating and organising waste can look pretty different from region to region. Until now Munich residents have had three bins at home: Papier-Tonne (blue bin - for paper and cardboard), Bio-Tonne (brown bin - for compost) and Rest-Müll-Tonne (grey bin - for mixed waste). READ ALSO: Why you'll have to take more care sorting your biowaste in Germany from May Employees of Munich's waste management company (AWM) empty garbage cans in the early morning. In future, plastic and metal recyclables will also be collected by trucks. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sven Hoppe This leaves glass (in three separate colours) as well as a fair amount of other plastic, metal and composite material that needed to be separated and collected elsewhere. For this purpose, Munich has set up recycling islands ( Wertstoffinseln ) where people can drop their glass and other recycling materials during daytime hours (excluding Sundays). But the recycling islands were problematic in that they smelled bad, often filled beyond capacity and created a bothersome chore for people living further from them. READ ALSO: The changes to Germany's waste and recycling rules in 2025 What do people in Munich think? Bettina Kudla, a tax consultant from Allach who took part in the yellow bin pilot test told the Münchner Merkur that using the yellow bins was a more 'consumer friendly' way to recycle. Kudla noted the distance to recycling islands was too far for some, and added that some packaging didn't fit in the opening to the old containers and often ended up 'in the residual waste, or even worse, next to the containers." Advertisement The pilot test also found that more recyclable material was collected everywhere that yellow bins were put in place. Munich's environmental department therefore suggests that the yellow bins will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An SZ report quotes positive reactions from members of virtually all major parties in Munich, including members of the Greens, SDP, CSU, Free Voters, FDP and ÖDP - which is the Ecological Democratic Party. "The yellow bin improves the collection quality and quantity of recyclables compared to the delivery system and is very well received by the citizens," ÖDP city councillor Tobias Ruff told the South German newspaper. He says the additional bin should have no impact on waste collection fees. Munich had just increased those fees at the beginning of this year: the weekly emptying of a 120-litre container, for example, costs €440 annually. Munich's city council plans to officially decide on the introduction of yellow bins on June 5th. Vocabulary Waste bin/garbage can - die Mülltonne Yellow bin - die Gelbe Tonne Recyclables - die Werstoffe Packaging - die Verkaufsverpackung Pilot test - der Pilotversuch Cleanliness - die Sauberkeit We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know .
Business Wire
25-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Law Firm Rechtsanwälte Steinhöfel: a German Newspaper Retracts Allegations Referenced in a Judicial Investigation Against Businessman Alisher Usmanov
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--German newspaper Münchner Merkur has retracted in writing a number of statements about Alisher Usmanov, signing three cease-and-desist orders and deleting 15 articles released March through November 2022. Some of the deleted materials were used by German law enforcement authorities to initiate preliminary investigations against A. Usmanov and constituted a ground for EU sanctions against him and his sister. Münchner Merkur (Merkur) is a German daily newspaper, part of the Münchner Merkur/tz media group and the most read subscription-based publication in Bavaria. А. Usmanov has been repeatedly targeted by Merkur publications, especially after his inclusion in the EU sanctions lists in February 2022. Merkur has now simultaneously signed three cease-and-desist orders to stop unlawful acts, including dozens of false allegations about A. Usmanov and his relatives. Merkur had earlier signed yet another five of such orders. These include claims that A. Usmanov allegedly owns luxury vehicles and real estate acquired 'with the help of a network of sham and offshore companies,' which have allegedly been 'seized' thereafter. Airbus A340 airplane, two helicopters and several cars were named among such assets, along with several villas on Bavarian Lake Tegernsee allegedly acquired by him from 2011 through 2018 through figureheads and sham companies for over EUR 23 mln, as well as real estate on Sardinia, a mansion in British Surrey, 'villas in London,' Croatia and Latvia. In addition, the deleted Merkur articles claimed that A. Usmanov allegedly transferred title to the above property to a trust in favor of his sisters, from whom he then leased it out. That being said, one of the sisters, Gulbakhor Ismailova was named as the owner of the Dilbar yacht. In addition, among Merkur's false reports were allegations that in 2015 A. Usmanov allegedly acquired a multimillion-dollar property in Bavaria 'from a professor at the University of Salzburg' and another one from 'the man from Cologne' in 2016. In the spirit of convoluted detective novels, the German outlet, citing rumors, published reports that A. Usmanov allegedly 'transferred his trust to his sister G. Ismailova and that she, in turn, to her sister Saodat Narzieva,' and that 'valuable artifacts such as alleged Fabergé eggs' had been discovered in Usmanov's 'properties in Bavaria.' All these allegations have been repeatedly refuted in court and out of court. The Merkur outlet was the champion for the intensity of their dissemination in Germany, and later also became the champion for the number of their deletions and signed cease-and-desist orders. In reality, the said properties do not belong to A. Usmanov and are held in irrevocable discretionary trusts. Neither A. Usmanov nor his relatives has any control or ownership interest, with all rights vested in independent trustees. The articles in Merkur were used by German law enforcement authorities to take on preliminary investigations, including for taking such serious investigative actions as searches against A. Usmanov on suspicion of tax evasion and violation of the German Foreign Trade and Payments Act. Investigative material, based among other things on deleted articles, was illegally transferred by the German side to the EU Council, which included it as 'evidence' in the dossier on A. Usmanov and G. Ismailova to justify sanctions against them. For the third year now, the German prosecutor's office has been trying to prove to no avail that A. Usmanov was a tax resident of Germany, evaded the relevant taxes, and violated sanctions restrictions. A. Usmanov's representatives have repeatedly denied these accusations. In November 2024, the Public Prosecutor General's Office in Frankfurt am Main after almost two and a half years of barren searching efforts dropped yet another money laundering investigation against A. Usmanov without finding any evidence to support its accusations.. This was preceded by the Frankfurt am Main Regional Court's recognition of the series of searches conducted as part of the investigation as illegal. Since 2023, A. Usmanov's lawyers have secured 9 orders and injunctions against media outlets which attributed to A. Usmanov real estate in Germany and other property actually owned by the independent trustees. Besides, about 40 cease-and-desist orders have been signed. Hundreds of media have deleted or edited their reports. In 2022, the EU Council lifted sanctions on S. Narzieva, and in 2025 – on G. Ismailova. Joachim Steinhöfel, a media lawyer representing A. Usmanov, noted that 'it is highly unusual for an important regional newspaper to delete 15 of its articles for false factual claims after legal action. A journalist who has now completely discredited himself was so enamored of the Russian, rich and guilty narrative that truthful reporting could not be allowed to stand in the way. Alisher Usmanov was the victim of this attack on truth and decency. Journalistic failure is one thing, but the fact that the public prosecutor's office responsible made these grotesque media blunders the basis of its investigation and referred to the deleted newspaper articles discredits the justice system. For a judge to sign a search warrant, as happened in the Usmanov case, and refer to a newspaper article that has now been deleted, is simply ridiculous.'
