Poster Hamburg Living Lab

Despite mandatory separation since 2011, around 32% of compostable waste still ends up in residual waste across Hamburg Large underground refuse systems (UFS) face contamination challenges due to limited social control and awareness The project involved 61 UFS locations and over 4,000 users, designing measures through surveys, interviews, and participatory workshops Clean organic waste supports Kompostwerk Bützberg’s compost and biomethane production Living Lab - Hamburg September 2025 Hygiene and Facilitation: paper bags for organic waste distributed free of charge to prevent insect problems, ensure cleaner kitchens and lead to tidier waste disposal Awareness and Recognition: flyers and news spread to the citizens to raise awareness of the importance of proper waste separation and the value of the final product Monitoring and Quality Control: an innovative solution involves monitoring the quality of organic waste before emptying the container Implemented information campaigns and on-site events at 26 collection points, involving 300 hours of work and 450 participants Over 500 compost samples, insect repellents, bio-bags, and leaflets are distributed Urban context and challenges Strategies and possible solutions Implementation and results Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them Yearly 50,000 tonnes of biowaste are treated to 9,500 MWh of energy and 18,500 tonnes of compost Goal: reduce impurities and promote responsible organic waste separation