WIESBADEN, GERMANY – The disposal of furniture and household goods during permanent change of station season is not limited to the facilities available on a U.S. Army installation. There are multiple ways to dispose of, sell, or give away goods on the German economy.
Disposing of old furniture and household goods that won’t make it through another PCS move can seem overwhelming. Often, this same predicament arises for the incoming, as well as the outgoing community members.
In the local communities outside the installation gates, Germany offers a variety of facilities to assist in item disposal. Recycling yards known as “Wertstoffhöfe,” are facilities where people can dispose of household waste, bulky items and items that are not picked up by local waste collection.
There are three recycling yards in Wiesbaden: Nordenstadt, Dotzheim, Bierstadt. Typical opening hours are: Tuesday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Normally, most recycling yards are closed on Monday. Private households can take items with a volume of up to 700 liters – about as much as you can fit into a normal-sized trunk of a personal vehicle. The staff on site can help sort the items and find the correct containers. To prove that you live in the area and are therefore entitled to utilize the recycling yards, the employees on site simply ensure your license plate correlates with the city of the recycling yard you are trying to use. For example, anyone utilizing the Wiesbaden recycling yards, should have a license plate beginning with the letters “WI”.
Another service of interest for off-post housing residents who need to dispose of larger household items, is the “Sperrmüll,” or bulky waste service. Every private household in Wiesbaden can make four individual appointments per year free of charge for the collection of bulky waste by telephone or online by contacting the ELW Service Center. The bulky waste pickup accepts loads up to a quantity of five cubic meters. Wiesbaden appointments can be made by telephone at +49 611 7153-0 or by registering online at https://www.elw.de/login. A similar service exists in Mainz. To schedule a pickup appointment there, call +49 6131 123434 or visit https://eb-mainz.de/wir-kommen-zu-ihnen/sperrmuell/terminanfrage.
Additionally, community members who have items that are like new, can drop them off at the USAG Wiesbaden Re-Use Center. The Re-Use portion of the Recycle Center at Clay Kaserne accepts re-usable items and provides them free of charge to community members. This is separate from recycling and run by an authorized volunteer organization. The Re-Use Center is open Mondays and Thursdays from Noon until 3 p.m. and on the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. until Noon. For more information on hours and volunteering opportunities, visit the group’s Facebook page, “Wiesbaden Re-Use Center.” Proper recycling saves energy, reduces air pollution, decreases greenhouse gas emissions and saves money.
Find more information about the Garrison’s recycling and trash programs at https://home.army.mil/wiesbaden/index.php/about/Garrison/directorate-public-works/trash-and-recycling.
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