Diapers and Extra Rubbish in Frankfurt: The Grey 70-Litre Sack at 3.50 EUR, Where to Buy It, and Why Renters Cannot Order a Bigger Bin
In Frankfurt, diapers go into the grey residual waste bin, and when that bin runs short once or for a short time, the city and FES point to the official grey 70-litre FES sack, which costs 3.50 EUR. For a lasting need the answer is a bigger bin. These sacks are sold at only four places: the FES Servicecenter at Zeil 129, the FES gate at Weidenbornstraße 40, and the recycling yards Nord and West. A bigger or additional bin can only be ordered by the property owner, not by a tenant, so renters have to ask the landlord or the Hausverwaltung. Frankfurt's pages show no separate diaper scheme.
What Goes in the Grey Bin
In Frankfurt, the household rubbish system has four containers: yellow for packaging, green for paper, brown for organic waste and grey (or black) for what is left. The FES brochure puts diapers in the grey bin and says they do not belong in the paper or organic bins. The FES page on the residual waste bin lists:
- Hygiene articles (tissues, sanitary towels, cotton pads) and diapers
- Dust, ashes, sweepings and cigarette ends
- Kitchen towels, dishcloths and cleaning cloths
- Vacuum cleaner bags and small-animal litter
- Drinking glasses, porcelain, ceramics and all broken glass, including mirrors
It does not take food leftovers (the brown bio bin does), packaging, building rubble, old clothes or shoes, batteries, electrical devices or hazardous waste such as paint and sprays.
When the Bin Is Not Enough
A baby, a renovation or a party can fill a bin that was fine before. For extra waste the city and FES name one tool: the official grey 70-litre sack. Their pages mention renovations and celebrations as the typical case, and they describe no other relief for a baby’s diapers. The city portal describes it as the answer if the bin is “not enough once after renovations or celebrations” and gives the price: 3.50 EUR per sack. The fee statute fixes this amount and says that an unused sack is not taken back or refunded. Divided out, that is 5 cents per litre.
| Place | Address | Hours listed by FES |
|---|---|---|
| FES Servicecenter (Insel für Klima und Nachhaltigkeit) | Zeil 129, near the Hauptwache | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10:00 to 13:00 and 13:30 to 18:00; Wed 10:00 to 14:00; Sat 10:00 to 16:00 |
| FES head office gate | Weidenbornstraße 40 | Around the clock |
| Wertstoffhof Nord | Max-Holder-Straße 29 | Mon to Sat 8:00 to 16:50 |
| Wertstoffhof West | Palleskestraße 36 a | No hours given on the FES page |
A city report of April 2025 states these four places are the only sale points, that the Bürgerämter stopped selling sacks when they moved to fixed appointments, and that a vending machine at the Wertstoffhof West was to be tested first. Buy a few at once if you pass by, since a quick trip to a shop around the corner does not work for these. Our guides to glass and packaging recycling and to bulky waste pickup cover the other streams.
A Bigger Bin: Only the Owner Can Ask
If the extra sacks become a routine, the real fix is a bigger bin, and here is where renters get stuck. FES says it plainly: tenants cannot order the residual waste bin themselves and must turn to the owner or the property manager. The city portal adds that residual waste bins must be sized, or enough must be ordered, to hold all the residual waste of the property, and that the waste fee depends on the size of the residual waste bin. The FES form for changing bins is for property owners.
| Size | Permitted total weight |
|---|---|
| 80 l | 35 kg |
| 120 l | 50 kg |
| 240 l | 100 kg |
| 770 l | 320 kg |
| 1.1 m³ | 440 kg |
What this means in practice: write to your landlord or the Hausverwaltung, describe the change in the household (a baby, a second child, someone working from home) and ask them to request a bigger bin or a second one for the building. Because the fee follows the bin size, your landlord may pass the cost on in the service charges, so ask how it would appear in the Nebenkosten. Our page on registering electricity as a tenant shows the same owner-and-tenant split for another utility.
Tiny Households and Shared Bins
The reverse case also exists. The city lets neighbouring owners form a Nutzungsgemeinschaft when even the smallest 80-litre bin is too large for them. They must share all bins, with one named responsible person, and the Umweltamt approves a written application from the owners.
Is There a Diaper Scheme?
We did not find one in Frankfurt. The FES and city pages we read treat diapers as ordinary residual waste, with no discounted diaper bag or bin. The 3.50 EUR sack is the tool for extra volume. If you care for someone with incontinence, or you want to ask whether an exception is possible, contact FES or the Umweltamt before you buy a stock of sacks.
Step by Step
- Put diapers in the grey bin, not in the organic or paper bin.
- Watch the weight. Wet diapers are heavy, and an 80 l bin may only weigh 35 kg.
- Buy a few grey 70 l sacks at one of the four sale points if the bin is full before the next collection.
- If you rent, write to the landlord or Hausverwaltung to ask for a bigger or second bin.
- Ask how the fee is passed on in your Nebenkosten before the change.
- Check the FES service pages for the current sale points, since the city was testing a vending machine.
Compliance Note
This guide summarises the pages of FES Frankfurt, the City of Frankfurt, the fee statute valid from 1 January 2024 and a city report of April 2025 as read in October 2026. Fees, sale points and rules change, and the owner of your building decides the bins. Confirm the details with FES before you buy or order anything.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Where do diapers go in Frankfurt?
Into the grey residual waste bin. The FES page on the residual waste bin lists diapers, hygiene items, dust, cigarette ends, kitchen towels and broken glass as allowed contents, and its brochure 'Was kommt wo hinein' says that diapers and other used hygiene articles do not belong in the organic bin or the paper bin. Food leftovers are not allowed in the residual bin according to the FES page, they belong in the brown bio bin.
My grey bin is full every week with a baby in the house. What can I do?
There are two options. When the bin is not enough once, for example after a renovation or a celebration, the city and FES say to use official grey 70-litre sacks for the additional amounts, and that is the only relief the pages describe for a short period. For a lasting need, the bin has to be bigger or there have to be more of them, and only the property owner can order that. The city portal says residual waste bins must be sized or ordered so that they hold all the residual waste of the property.
What does an extra sack cost, and where do I buy it?
3.50 EUR per sack, a fee fixed by the city's fee statute, which also says that an unused sack is neither taken back nor refunded. According to FES, the sale points are the FES Servicecenter at Zeil 129 near the Hauptwache, the FES gate at Weidenbornstraße 40, the Wertstoffhof Nord at Max-Holder-Straße 29 and the Wertstoffhof West at Palleskestraße 36 a. A city report of April 2025 confirms that these four places are the only ones, that the Bürgerämter no longer sell sacks, and that a vending machine at the Wertstoffhof West was planned as a test.
I rent. Can I order a bigger bin myself?
No. FES states that tenants cannot order the residual waste bin themselves and must turn to the owner or the property manager. The city portal adds that orders, changes and changes of the emptying rhythm may be requested only by the owner or an authorised representative, either at FES or at the Umweltamt. If the bin is too small for your household, write to your landlord or the Hausverwaltung and ask for the change, and mention the family size.
How often is the residual waste bin emptied?
Regularly once a week, according to the city portal, and the bin sizes start at 80 litres. The paper and organic bins are emptied every two weeks according to the FES form text. Changes of the rhythm go through the owner.
What are the bin sizes and weight limits?
FES lists residual waste bins of 80, 120, 240 and 770 litres and of 1.1, 2.5 and 5 cubic metres. The permitted total weight is 35 kg for the 80 l bin, 50 kg for 120 l and 100 kg for 240 l. Used diapers are heavy when wet, so a full small bin can reach the limit before it is full by volume.
Is there a cheaper or special diaper scheme in Frankfurt?
We did not find one. The FES and city pages we read treat diapers as ordinary residual waste, and the only relief for extra volume is the 3.50 EUR sack. Some other German districts offer discounted diaper bins or bags on application, but that is not described for Frankfurt in the sources we read. Ask FES or the Umweltamt if you want to be sure, particularly if you care for someone with incontinence.
What if our household is tiny and even the 80 l bin is too big?
Neighbouring owners can form a Nutzungsgemeinschaft and share all bins together. The city says the community must share the residual bin, the organic bin, the paper bin and the yellow bin, and the Umweltamt decides on a written application from the owners, with one named responsible person.