City cleaning Hamburg

Report illegal dumping (wild dumping).

Have you found illegally dumped trash in the environment? Find out how to report the location here.

Detailed description

Illegal dumping refers to waste that has been disposed of unlawfully in the environment, i.e., not via the designated channels such as garbage cans, collection points or recycling centers.


Typical examples include:

  • Household waste that is dumped in the forest, on roadsides or in parking lots
  • Bulky waste, car tires or construction debris in green spaces or fields
  • Electronic waste or paint buckets in nature

Characteristics of illegally dumped waste include:

  • Disposal is carried out without a permit.
  • It can harm soil, water, and animals.
  • This causes costs for cleaning and disposal, which usually have to be borne by municipalities or property owners.

If you have found illegally dumped waste or rubbish, you can report the location to the relevant authorities.

 

Information

Prerequisites

They found illegally dumped trash, refuse, or garbage.

Documents required

  • Describe the location where it was found.
  • You can submit a photo of the location where the object was found.

Please note

Disposing of waste outside of designated waste containers is prohibited and constitutes an administrative offense. It can be punished with a fine. If the person responsible is identified, they can be billed for the disposal costs.



The "Clean City" hotline can be reached by telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Deadlines

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Procedure

If you wish to report illegal dumping to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, you have the following options:

  • You can contact the "Clean City" hotline by phone.
  • You can report the location of the find online via the contact form on the Hamburg city cleaning website.
  • You can use the Hamburg city cleaning app to select the "litter corners" function and report contaminated locations.
    • You can take a photo and upload it to the app.

If illegally dumped waste has been placed on your property, you must remove it yourself.

Processing time

The processing time depends on the local situation.

Fees


  • Reporting illegal dumping is free of charge.

  • If you have illegally dumped waste, you must bear the costs of its disposal.

Legal remedies

No legal remedy is provided for.

Legal basis

Circular Economy Act (KrWG)


https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/krwg/




Hamburg Waste Management Act (HmbAbfG)


https://www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-AbfWGHA2005rahmen

Address and contact information

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Keywords: Garbage collection Wrecked cars Abandoned bicycles Bulky waste old bikes rubble e-waste abandoned bikes broken bike dump unauthorized disposal rubbish

Last updated: 09.02.2026