Waste removal

[dstanners]

I've got a nasty/disappointed feeling I already know the answer to this, but out of sheer exasperation, I thought I'd see if anyone has found an easy solution to this issue: getting rid of waste.

I've got an entire downstairs area, and a shed, full of stuff. I have barely used anything in either area for the 10 years I've now been living here, and even if I needed stuff there, I would probably either never find it, or buy it again thinking that I never had it. The "stuff" ranges from half finished packets of screws and nails, right up to an old leather sofa via broken bikes, unicycle (seriously, how/why?), forgotten or part-broken power tools, half-used packets of plaster and cement and bits of wood and tiles for forgotten projects and everything in between.

Now, I already know that the correct thing to do, would be to ask sperrmuell to take some things, elektroschrott to take others, put some things on kleinanzeigen, some to sondermuell and carefully trenn everything else etc etc. However, things aren't brilliant for me these days, and somehow along the way I seem to be losing the capacity to sort out this sort of problem: a crappy, time consuming but necessary task.

What I would like to do is hire a skip, put everything in it, and let the skip folk take it away. However, whenever I've used the skip folk in the past (once a year after I've removed tress/bushes from the garden), they have been pretty specific about needing to know everything going into the skip (length/width and leaf status of branches), and I can't see them accepting everything.

Have any of you had any experience in getting someone in for this? I know there are some Entruempelung services, but my (perhaps false) understanding is that they clear out all the crÄp on the understanding that there may be a few jewels for them worth keeping - in my case, there really isn't anything particularly valuable.

[alma.freya]

My local skip service offers skips for gemischter-abfall:
https://schroeder-containerservice.de/l ... er-abfall/

We dumped all sorts in there, and they didn't want to know what the skip contained. Hopefully you can find a company local to your that offers the same service.

[Franklan]

What I would like to do is hire a skip, put everything in it, and let the skip folk take it away. However, whenever I've used the skip folk in the past (once a year after I've removed tress/bushes from the garden), they have been pretty specific about needing to know everything going into the skip (length/width and leaf status of branches), and I can't see them accepting everything.

The times when you hired a "skip" and they brought it to a landfill and charged you by cubic meters are loooong over.

Example: You have one skip full of gardening waste and some dipshit pours 10l of used engine oil over it -> All of it needs to be brought to an expensive hazardous waste processing facility, rather than the cheap local composting plant.

The first step would be to get all hazardous fluids (like used oil, paint, paint thinner, fuel for lawn mower etc.) away, so that there is nothing obviously nasty left in the collection.

You then need to sort by metal, wood, gardening waste, electronics and then - one after another - get that shit away.
Once that is done, get a skip - as suggested by A.M. - to get rid of the rest.

[Eric7]

What I would like to do is hire a skip, put everything in it, and let the skip folk take it away. However, whenever I've used the skip folk in the past (once a year after I've removed tress/bushes from the garden), they have been pretty specific about needing to know everything going into the skip (length/width and leaf status of branches), and I can't see them accepting everything.

The first step would be to get all hazardous fluids (like used oil, paint, paint thinner, fuel for lawn mower etc.) away, so that there is nothing obviously nasty left in the collection.

You then need to sort by metal, hazardous waste, wood, gardening waste, electronics and then - one after another - get that shit away.
Once that is done, get a skip - as suggested by A.M. - to get rid of the rest.

It sounds like it would be easier for him just to leave it until he dies and let someone else deal with it.
That's my plan anyway for dealing with the 110m2 cellar, double garage and shed all completely filled with 30-odd years of crap!

[dstanners]

Thanks for the replies....particularly the one from Eric - that made me laugh.
I own a large digger and a decent-sized garden. Part of me has been tempted to dig a bl00dy big hole and bury it all.

[snowingagain]

Not sure what you are allowed per year for roadside collection, but it is pretty decent here. I got rid of 3 broken bikes, a huge broken sofa (I dismantled it so it fitted the dimensions allowed) 2 broken chairs, a broken cupboard and more. Plus all my broken electric stuff, like vacuum, lamps, broken household stuff And could do the same again this year, only half our allowance. You can simply dump all the old screws and nails in your regular werstoff bin, whatever it is called where you live. Main problem with the electric stuff is despite the pick up date being "secret", the white van guys here are not stupid. And they pick up, strip and dump what they do not want in the fields.

At a price you can get skip plus man, who will take and sort for you. But no electric stuff, or paints/similar.

I am still having fun using a local Coinstar which costs a bit (10 percent) but is remarkably uncomplaining about sorting out non standard stuff and can manage considerable volume without jamming. Much easier than the one at the bank but the latter is cheaper. Over 100 € now. Yahoo!

[LeonG]

It sounds like it would be easier for him just to leave it until he dies and let someone else deal with it.
That's my plan anyway for dealing with the 110m2 cellar, double garage and shed all completely filled with 30-odd years of crap!

That's what my parents did. Garage was full, storage room, laundry room, every closet full. My brother and I took multiple trips to the dump. My sis was trying to look for treasures. She ended up taking some of their clutter home and is still sifting through it 10 yrs. later

[bethannbitt]

I know there are some Entruempelung services, but my (perhaps false) understanding is that they clear out all the crÄp on the understanding that there may be a few jewels for them worth keeping - in my case, there really isn't anything particularly valuable.

Here the Caritas will come and empty the place for a fee and take care of it all. It‘s amazing how much folks can cram into a small apartment. Also, can you perhaps have events where you announce that folks can come by and take anything they want? Maybe just set up a manageable weekly goal of throwing stuff away too.

IMO you will feel so much better as you slowly offload stuff. We moved here in 2019 and had a small storage unit with stuff still left in the US (5' x 10') We finally emptied it in September of 2025. We donated and threw away all but 2 large suitcases and 2 boxes of stuff that flew back to Zürich with us. It really helped me sleep better. Sometimes it's just worth disowning your stuff.

[Franklan]

That's what my parents did. Garage was full, storage room, laundry room, every closet full. My brother and I took multiple trips to the dump. My sis was trying to look for treasures. She ended up taking some of their clutter home and is still sifting through it 10 yrs. later

Concerning "sifting through it": A former co worker (who was born and raised in the GDR, so East of the wall) had to do that in the early 90ies after his mom died. They found GDR-Marks hidden all over the place, banknotes sewn into cushions, banknotes sewn into curtains and so on.

This was about two weeks after the curfew/deadline for exchanging those GDR-Banknotes into D-Mark. So you basically could only wipe your @rse with that "money".

[LeonG]

Concerning "sifting through it": A former co worker (who was born and raised in the GDR, so East of the wall) had to do that in the early 90ies after his mom died. They found GDR-Marks hidden all over the place, banknotes sewn into cushions, banknotes sewn into curtains and so on.

This was about two weeks after the curfew/deadline for exchanging those GDR-Banknotes into D-Mark. So you basically could only wipe your @rse with that "money".

Unfortunate timing. My sis found a couple of gift cards in my parents stuff that were still usable but if we would have emptied the house at her speed, we would have been paying off loans and property taxes until now and it still would not be sold.

[kiplette]

It sounds like it would be easier for him just to leave it until he dies and let someone else deal with it.
That's my plan anyway for dealing with the 110m2 cellar, double garage and shed all completely filled with 30-odd years of crap!

Yup, kid#3 has got ahead of that one and has a very effective programme in place for making this all happen slow time starting about 2 years ago... exhausting but definitely worthwhile, like Bethann says (not that we are anything like 'there' yet)

[Fraufruit]

Parents are often under the delusion that their kids will want their stuff. They don't. We had no problem getting some charities to clear out my parent's entire house in the U.S. There was a lot of valuable stuff that none of us wanted and thought it would be better just to give it all to charity. Very easy.

[snowingagain]

It depends. I took stuff from my parents after they died. 1700s oak chest, passed down from Scotland 1800s brass candelsticks, solid wood chest of drawers, etc. Paintings/drawings. My mother always said what they were.

[Fraufruit]

Oh yes, there were some nice things and cabinets full of silver bowls, tea service, punch bowl with 24 cups, crystal, etc., etc. I had no room or need for any of it nor did I want to ship it over. My siblings and all their kids and mine also had full households. My son got 2 sofas and the dryer. I bought my dad's new Jeep off of my siblings cheap for my son. They took a couple of random pieces of furniture for their holiday homes. Of course, my sister and I got Mama's jewelry. It was all very amicable and pleasant. Not like the horror inheritance stories you hear.

I've already started giving away my "heirlooms" to my daugher in law and my niece. Probably should ask my son if he wants anything in particular.

[Eric7]

Inspired by this thread, I'm happy to report that I spent 4 hours in the garage today and have managed to completely fill up my trailer with crap.

Some things brought a tear to the eye, the snowboard and boots not used since the year 2000 for example, but I guess you've got to be strong in these situations. Now to build up to dumping the pram, stroller and all the kiddies bikes... the lad is only 22.