Federal law says it is prohibited
The Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz sets the basis. Under § 28(1) sentence 1 KrWG, waste may only be treated, stored or deposited at authorised facilities.
Breaching that is an administrative offence under § 69(1) no. 2 KrWG. It applies to household waste and bulky waste alike, and it applies even where the waste ends up on private land.
State law says what it costs
And this is where it gets confusing. The actual amount is set by each Bundesland in its own Bußgeldkatalog, so there are sixteen different scales. Nationally the amounts run roughly between 50 and 10,000 euros.
Two examples show how wide that is: in North Rhine-Westphalia a discarded paper plate costs 10 to 25 euros. In Lower Saxony, illegally disposing of five or more car tyres costs 1,000 to 25,000 euros.
That is why the figures online contradict each other: most of them are correct, just for a different state. If you need a reliable number, your own state's catalogue is the only dependable source.
When it stops being an administrative offence
With hazardous waste or larger quantities, an administrative offence can become a criminal one, with consequences well beyond a fine.
In practice: drums, waste oil, asbestos, chemicals or a full lorry load are a different category from a sofa on a verge. If you find something like that, touch nothing and report it as what it is.
Bulky waste does not simply go out on the street
This is the commonest everyday misunderstanding. Bulky waste may not just be put out: either there are fixed collection dates, or collection has to be requested from the waste management operator.
Whether it costs anything varies from municipality to municipality. Often bulky waste can also be handed in directly at the operator for a small fee, which is usually the quickest route.
A wardrobe standing on the street without an appointment is not a bulky waste collection, it is illegal dumping.
Who to report it to
- The Ordnungsamt of your town or municipality, responsible for administrative offences
- The lower waste authority for larger quantities or commercial waste
- The police, if you witness dumping or have a registration number
- In case of danger, leaking liquids, drums, asbestos or fire, call 112 rather than filling in a form
What a usable report contains
- Exact location, ideally with coordinates. In woodland or on a track an address does not help
- Two photos: one close enough to identify the waste, one wide enough to find the spot again
- Type of waste: rubble, tyres, bulky items, green waste, drums, asbestos board. Competence and the fine range depend on it
- Approximate quantity, with something visible for scale
- The date, and how long the spot has been affected if you know
- Visible clues to origin, such as delivery notes or company markings. Do not rummage through the waste
Why a public trail helps
A cleared dump returns to the same spot with remarkable reliability. Such places repeat for structural reasons: reachable by car, not overlooked at night, far from the recycling centre.
A single report gets one clearance. A dated, photographed history of the same spot is something else: it is the argument for a barrier, a camera, a sign or a nearer recycling centre. In CleanSpot every report keeps a photo, a date and coordinates on a public map, and reopening the same spot builds exactly that series.
This does not replace reporting to the Ordnungsamt and we do not present it as if it did. It is the evidence the file otherwise lacks.
Sources
What does illegal dumping cost in Germany?
Nationally roughly 50 to 10,000 euros, but the actual amount is set by your Bundesland. The spread is wide: a paper plate costs 10 to 25 euros in North Rhine-Westphalia, five car tyres 1,000 to 25,000 euros in Lower Saxony.
Why do I find different figures everywhere?
Because there are sixteen state catalogues. Most figures are correct, just for a different state. Only your own state's catalogue is reliable.
Can I put my bulky waste out on the street?
Only on a fixed collection date or after registering with the waste operator. Without an appointment it is illegal dumping.
Should I clear the waste myself?
Not before reporting and photographing it, or the evidence is gone. Drums, sealed sacks and anything that might contain asbestos or chemicals should not be touched at all.