Fact sheet "Plant waste" (as at: 06/2025)

Vegetable waste includes grass, leaves, moss, tree and shrub cuttings, wood shavings, loppings and similar green waste.

In principle, the recycling of plant waste, e.g. by chipping, composting, chipping (valuable energy source) or similar, takes precedence over disposal by incineration. The disposal of plant waste outside approved facilities such as composting plants, collection points for green waste, etc. must be regulated in such a way that there is no risk of harm to the public good. The principles of the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act (§§ 6 ff.) are of particular importance here. These principles are specified in the Ordinance on the Disposal of Plant Waste Outside Authorized Disposal Facilities (PflAbfV).

For the best possible disposal of plant waste, special green waste collection points have been set up throughout the district of Bad Tölz - Wolfratshausen. Plant waste (up to 2 m³ free of charge) is accepted here:

• Egling/Ergertshausen
• Eurasburg/WGV Quarzbichl disposal center
• Geretsried South (Jeschkenstr./Tattenkofer Str.)
• Greiling/Disposal center "Am Vorberg"
• Kochel am See/Pessenbach
• Wolfratshausen (Geltinger Str.)
• Local recycling centers

Plant waste from gardens

The term "gardens" within the meaning of the PflAbfV includes not only domestic and allotment gardens but also parks, regardless of their size.

Plant waste from gardens, in particular leaves, grass and moss, may generally be left to rot on the property on which it has accumulated. Significant odor nuisance to the residents of adjacent residential properties must be avoided.

The above-mentioned green waste collection points and the organic waste garbage can offer sufficient and reasonable disposal options for all garden owners. There is therefore no need for exceptions to the burning of garden waste.

The recycling of green waste, e.g. through composting, has priority over other forms of disposal such as incineration! In view of the waste management objectives, it is reasonable to deliver garden waste to one of the green waste collection points in the district.

Plant waste from agriculture and commercial horticulture

This includes, for example

• strawy waste,
• Potato haulm and similar herbaceous waste (e.g. asparagus haulm),
• woody waste from fruit, wine and hop growing.

This plant waste may in principle be left to rot on the land on which it was produced, provided that it does not cause any significant odor nuisance to the residents of adjacent residential properties. If this is not possible, plant waste may be incinerated, provided that the waste is generated in connection with the normal cultivation of the land in question.

Exceptions may be permitted in individual cases for old cereal straw and rainy hay if the farmer has no viable alternatives. This is the case if the strawy waste can neither be used on the far mer 's own farm nor sold or otherwise made available to third parties and incorporation into the soil is also ruled out.

For reasons of labor saving, exceptions to the general ban on incineration cannot be permitted!

Other plant waste from agriculture may not be incinerated. In particular, materials other than plant waste (e.g. fertilizer bags) may not be incinerated either!

The requirement to prevent adverse effects due to smoke development means that plant waste may only be incinerated when dry.

Vegetable waste from forestry and alpine farming

Plant waste from forestry and alpine pasture management (in particular beetle-infested wood) may be left to rot by leaving it lying around, incorporating it and similar methods. The spread of bark beetles and other harmful organisms must not be encouraged.

If this is necessary for forestry or alpine farming reasons, plant waste may be incinerated where it has accumulated.

Burning outside built-up areas:

Outside of built-up areas, garden waste may be burned on the land on which it was produced. However, the above-mentioned time restrictions and other requirements for reasons of fire protection and immission control must be observed.

Burning within built-up areas:

Within the built-up areas in the entire district of Bad Tölz - Wolfratshausen, vegetable garden waste may not be burned.

The terms "outside and within the built-up areas" are to be interpreted in the same way as the equivalent terms in the German Building Code (BauGB), unless the protective purpose of the PflAbfV exceptionally requires or permits a different interpretation.

Important notes on burning:

• Burning is only permitted outside the built-up areas of the town and
• only permitted on working days from 06:00 to 18:00.
• The fire must be constantly monitored and extinguished in such a way that the embers are extinguished by nightfall at the latest.
• When burning, there must be a sufficiently wide protective strip around the burning area; the required width of the protective strip depends on the circumstances of the individual case, in particular on the amount of plant waste, the weather and the ground vegetation.
• No fires may be lit in strong winds; burning fires must be extinguished immediately.
• Hazards, disadvantages or nuisances caused by smoke development and the spread of fire beyond the combustion area must be prevented.
• To avoid misunderstandings, we recommend registering in good time with the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen District Office, Environment Department and the Oberland Integrated Control Center by calling 0881/92585-100 or using the online form at www.ils-oberland.brk.de.

As a rule, the safety distances to be maintained from residential buildings and public traffic routes, as well as from forest edges, rains, hedges and other buildings at risk of fire are as follows:

300 m from hospitals, children's and old people's homes and comparable facilities as well as buildings whose walls or roofs are made of flammable building materials or in which highly flammable substances, flammable liquids or flammable gases are produced, stored or processed.

100 m to other buildings, campsites, other recreational facilities and parking lots, as well as to forest edges (in the case of agriculture and commercial horticulture).

75 m to railroad tracks and roads.

25 m from copses, hedges and other objects at risk of fire.

10 m to public field paths, restricted public paths and owner paths, private paths used by the public.

Violations can be punished with a fine of up to €100,000 or even as an environmental offense with a prison sentence of up to 10 years!