Don't Forget To Sort Your Trash!
Quick! How many recycling bins do think that you need to sort all of your trash into when you live in Germany? Depending on where you live in the U.S., you may or may not already be required to take part in a recycling program, at the least for plastics and paper. Here in Germany however, be prepared to take whatever you're doing to the next level.
By my count, there can be as many as six different types of trash and recycling bins that you will have to sort everything into, and you'll need to learn what color each of them are labeled as.
Behind or next to your building, there will typically be a yellow container or large bin which is for plastics and tins (think bean tins and the like), as well as a container for compost (brown), and obviously a black bin for any remaining trash.
Depending on your area, there may be either glass containers as well, or one that is on the street for your area. Either way, you'll have to sort the glass by weiß (white), grün (green), or braun (brown), and heaven help you if you taken it out after dark- people take their nighttime quiet seriously.
The paper bin(s) may be either by your building, or on the street. When they are on the street, you will likely see one labeled for things like cardboard and other thick paper, and one primarily for newsprint. Make sure that you aren't putting waxed paper (think juice cartons) in them when you do so.
On top of the available bins, for things like batteries and light bulbs, these can be recycled at pretty much any grocery store or shops like dm and Rossman, which will have bins by the cash registers for both.