Glass Bottles in Cologne: AWB Containers in Every Veedel, Three Colors and a 7 to 20 Hour Window
In Cologne glass packaging does not go into your own bins. You carry bottles and jars to the public glass containers that AWB Köln places in every Veedel, sorted into white, green (including blue) and brown, and you may only drop glass on working days between 7:00 and 20:00. Plastic, metal and composite packaging such as drink cartons go into the Wertstofftonne (the yellow bin, emptied every 14 days) or the yellow sack where there is no space for a bin. Bottles with a deposit belong back in the shop, not in the container. If a glass container is full, do not leave bottles beside it: AWB points you to its partner Remondis.
Glass Is Not Something You Put Out at Home
If you come from a country where glass is collected at the curb, Cologne needs one adjustment. Glass bottles and jars do not go into the household waste or the Wertstofftonne. They go to the public glass containers that AWB Köln, the city’s waste company, places in every Veedel. AWB says the containers stand close to where people live, and old clothes containers usually stand at the same sites, according to the city statute.
The tool you want is the AWB app, which has a map of glass and old clothes containers, your collection reminders and a function to report illegal dumping. The website has the same container map.
| What you have | Where it goes | Frequency or hours |
|---|---|---|
| Bottles, jars, preserve jars, medicine bottles, cream pots (glass) | AWB glass container in your Veedel, by color | Working days 7:00 to 20:00 |
| Plastic, metal and composite packaging, drink cartons | Wertstofftonne (yellow bin) or yellow sack | Emptied every 14 days |
| Bottles and cans with a deposit | Back to the shop | During shop hours |
| Drinking glasses, porcelain, ceramics, mirrors, window glass | Residual waste (Restmüll) | Your bin schedule |
| Light bulbs, LED lamps, fluorescent tubes | Collection point (boxes in shops, Wertstoff-Center) | Opening hours of the site |
| Large plastic or metal items | Wertstoff-Center or AWB bulky waste pickup | Wertstoff-Center: Mon to Fri 8:00 to 20:00, Sat 8:00 to 16:00; pickup by appointment |
The rows follow AWB and the Umweltbundesamt. For the Wertstoff-Center hours, see the AWB page linked below.
The Three Colors and the Edge Cases
AWB asks for three colors, and the containers are marked:
- White (Weiß): packaging of clear and white hollow glass. Flat glass is excluded.
- Green (Grün): green glass and blue glass.
- Brown (Braun): brown glass.
For anything between colors, the Umweltbundesamt advises the green container. The point is sorting purity: the cleaner each color is, the more old glass can go into new bottles.
Inside the container, only container glass. AWB’s list of what stays out includes car windows, lead crystal (vases, ashtrays), window glass, light bulbs and fluorescent tubes, ceramics, porcelain, mirrors and drinking glasses. A broken drinking glass is not packaging, so it goes to the Restmüll, wrapped so no one is cut when the bin is emptied. A cracked baking dish and a coffee cup go in the same bin.
You do not need to wash. Bottles and jars must be emptied or scraped clean, nothing more. AWB says rinsing is not necessary and small residues do no harm. Lids and caps may go in with the glass.
The Hours Are a Rule, Not a Courtesy
AWB says glass may only be dropped into the containers on working days from 7:00 to 20:00, since the noise would otherwise disturb the people living nearby. A working day (Werktag) is any day that is not a Sunday or a public holiday. After 20:00, on Sundays and on holidays, keep your bag at home.
This catches newcomers after a party. Nobody wants to carry twenty bottles to the container on Saturday night or Sunday morning, but the answer is to wait until the next working morning. For a sense of what else NRW treats differently on Sundays and holidays, our page on Sunday rules has the list, and the page on Hausordnung versus city rules explains what a house rule can add on top.
Bottles With a Deposit Do Not Belong in the Container
Many bottles you buy in Cologne carry a deposit (Pfand), and these should go back to the shop. The Umweltbundesamt asks people not to throw reusable bottles into the container, and says returning them is better financially and ecologically. Our page on how Pfand works in Cologne shows what is refundable and where to hand it in. If you have a heavy crate to carry, the page on beverage delivery lists options.
When the Container Is Full
Containers do fill up, especially after holidays. AWB’s instruction is clear: do not put bottles and jars beside the container. Glass can splinter and hurt neighbors. Instead, call AWB’s glass collection partner Remondis Wertstoff-Recycling GmbH & Co. KG on 0800 122 32 55 or write to info@remondis.de, so the container is emptied. Then use another container nearby, or wait a day. The AWB app can also take reports of illegal dumping.
Everything Else in the Yellow Bin
Cologne’s yellow bin is called the Wertstofftonne. According to AWB, it is a joint project of the city and the dual systems that collect sales packaging, and AWB empties it every 14 days across the whole city. The city statute also provides 90-liter yellow sacks (Wertstoffsäcke) for households that cannot place a bin, collected on the same 14-day rhythm.
What goes in:
- Plastic, metal and composite packaging, including empty yogurt pots, tin cans, shampoo bottles, plastic bags and milk and juice cartons.
- In Cologne also other items made of plastic or metal that are not packaging, such as cutlery, pots, pans, buckets, hangers made of metal or plastic, or a child’s plastic toy.
What does not go in: batteries, construction waste, electrical appliances, energy-saving lamps, glass, rubber, wood, cables, face masks and textiles, says AWB.
The statute lists failing to put recyclables into the bins provided as an administrative offense, with fines up to 50,000 euros in general. That ceiling covers many kinds of violations and says nothing about what a single misplaced yogurt pot would cost. The sources do not describe what AWB does with a wrongly filled bin, so ask AWB if you are unsure.
To see when your bin is emptied, enter your address in the AWB Abfuhrkalender or use the app. AWB notes that dates can change during the year and around holidays.
Too Big for the Bin: The Wertstoff-Center
Items too large for the bin go to one of the two Wertstoff-Center, one in Ossendorf (Butzweilerstr. 50, 50829 Köln) and one in Gremberghoven (August-Horch-Str. 3, 51149 Köln). According to AWB the opening hours at both are Monday to Friday 8:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 8:00 to 16:00, closed on public holidays. You need your Personalausweis, deliveries must come in vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, and delivery in household quantities is free. AWB asks you to leave children under 14 in the car if possible, since the centers are working sites. For furniture and bulky waste, our page on Sperrmüll pickup explains the free service.
Steps in Your First Week
- Find your nearest glass container on the AWB app or the AWB website map.
- Pick up the AWB Abfuhrkalender for your address and set the reminder for Wertstofftonne and Restmüll days.
- Keep a bag or box at home for glass and carry it on a working day before 20:00.
- Check your yellow bin or sack arrangement with your landlord or Hausverwaltung if you are not sure whether the building has a Wertstofftonne.
- Return Pfand bottles to the shop and keep them out of the container.
If Something Goes Wrong
- The Wertstofftonne was not emptied. Check the Abfuhrkalender, since dates shift around public holidays. If the date is right and the bin was skipped, AWB takes questions and complaints at kundenberatung@awbkoeln.de or +49 221 9222224.
- The container is overflowing. Call Remondis as described, and report any pile of waste beside it in the AWB app.
- You are unsure where something goes. The AWB app includes a waste ABC (Müll-ABC) with tips for correct disposal.
- Neighbors complain about night noise at the container. Point them to the working-day hours above. If glass is being thrown in outside those hours, raise it with AWB rather than with the neighbors.
Compliance Note
This page describes household glass and packaging disposal in Cologne as AWB Köln and the city describe it, current as of October 2026. Locations, hours and rules can change, and your building may have its own arrangements. It is not legal advice. For your address, confirm details with AWB Köln.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Where do I throw away empty glass bottles and jars in Cologne?
In the public glass containers of AWB Köln. AWB says it places special Wertstoffcontainer for glass in every Veedel, close to where people live. The AWB website has a map of drop-off points, and the AWB app shows the containers for glass and old clothes as well. Glass packaging does not belong in the household waste.
Which colors do I sort into?
AWB lists three: white for clear and white hollow glass (no flat glass), green for green and blue glass, and brown for brown glass. The containers are marked by color. The Umweltbundesamt adds that if a color is in doubt, for example white-green or blue, the green container is the one to use.
When may I drop glass into the containers?
AWB says glass may only be thrown in on working days between 7:00 and 20:00, because dropping it in is loud. That rules out Sundays and public holidays. Note that this is a rule for the container sites, so it applies to you even if your own Hausordnung says nothing about it.
What must not go into the glass container?
AWB lists car windows, lead crystal containers such as vases and ashtrays, window glass, light bulbs and fluorescent tubes, ceramics, porcelain, mirrors and drinking glasses. The Umweltbundesamt says porcelain, ceramics, drinking glasses, ovenware, window and mirror glass go into the residual waste, and light bulbs and LED lamps must be taken to collection boxes or a collection point. Container glass such as bottles and jars is the only glass the container takes.
Is a deposit bottle allowed in the glass container?
It should not be. The Umweltbundesamt asks people not to throw reusable bottles into the container, because returning them for the deposit is better both financially and for the environment. Bring bottles with a deposit back to the shop. Our page on the Pfand system explains what is refundable and where.
The container is full. What do I do?
AWB asks you not to put bottles beside the container, because glass splinters and can hurt neighbors. Instead, tell AWB's partner for glass collection, Remondis Wertstoff-Recycling GmbH & Co. KG, on 0800 122 32 55 or at info@remondis.de, so the container is emptied quickly. Meanwhile keep the glass at home or use another container nearby.
Where does plastic, metal and drinks cartons packaging go?
Into the Wertstofftonne, which AWB collects across the city every 14 days. It takes plastic, metal and composite packaging such as milk and juice cartons, and in Cologne also other items made of plastic or metal, such as a broken bucket, a plastic toy or an old aluminum pan. The city's statute provides yellow sacks for households that cannot place a bin. Glass, batteries, electrical appliances, textiles, wood and rubber are not allowed in it.
What if an item is too large for the Wertstofftonne?
AWB says large items made of plastic or metal should not be left beside the bin. Take them to a Wertstoff-Center, in Ossendorf (Butzweilerstr. 50) or Gremberghoven (August-Horch-Str. 3), or have them collected by AWB's bulky waste service. You need your ID card, and delivery in household quantities is free, according to AWB.