Garbage fees in the Ostalbkreis are rising: Is everything more expensive now?

Garbage fees in the Ostalbkreis are rising: Is everything more expensive now?

Waste disposal in the Ostalbkreis will become more expensive at the beginning of 2026. The district council approved the new fee calculation on Tuesday, which takes into account an increase in annual fees of around 3.9 percent and a price increase per emptying of almost three percent. These adjustments are the result of increased personnel costs, higher CO₂ taxes and more expensive combustion prices. The aftercare costs for closed landfills also lead to an increase in fees. The new prices for the different types of garbage cans from January 1, 2026 are as follows:

• 60-Liter-Tonne: 156,76 Euro (bisher 150,80 Euro)
• 80-Liter-Tonne: 167,15 Euro
• 120-Liter-Tonne: 187,73 Euro
• 240-Liter-Tonne: 249,69 Euro

In addition, the fees for underground containers, waste bags and the collection of bulky waste and electronic waste remain unchanged. The budget for waste supply is also burdened by a deficit from 2022 and 2023, which is now to be compensated for through the new fees. Head of Finance Karl Kurz explained that over 412,000 euros from GOA's profits will flow back into the waste budget and improved organic waste collection is being planned from October 2024.

Tense relationship with waste separation

A central element of the new measures are random checks of the organic waste bins, which will be carried out by the GOA team next year. Cameras are used on the collection vehicles to check the use of the prescribed bags. “There’s something going on!”, you could say when it comes to proper waste separation. When foreign material is first discovered in the bins, households first receive written information. If this happens repeatedly, a garbage collector will be contacted. But there are no plans to “lock the bin”, which takes some of the pressure off the citizens.

The measures are not well received by everyone. The AfD parliamentary group has already voiced loud criticism and speaks of “garbage sniffers in the district office,” which above all calls into question the preservation of citizens’ privacy. “We have to find the balance between environmental protection and personal freedoms,” explains a group spokesman.

Given the increases: the costs can be allocated

The new fees also provoke reactions from tenants, particularly with regard to the ability to pass on the costs of waste disposal. According to a ruling by the BGH, costs for bulky waste disposal may only be passed on to tenants if they arise on an ongoing basis. This must also be taken into account if rubbish is left unauthorisedly on communal areas. Expenses for removing garbage on such areas are apportionable, even if they were caused by illegal actions by third parties. An example of this would be repeated costs incurred when removing bulky rubbish, while one-off clear-outs may not be passed on to the tenants, as Haufe informs.

The connection between price increases and the need to separate waste remains a hotly debated topic. All eyes are now on the new controls and developments in the waste fee structure as municipalities in Ostalbkreis prepare to offer citizens a good level of transparency.