The Identsystem
The city of Essen is currently introducing a digital identification system for grey, brown and blue bins. The new system, which is free of charge for you, will keep a digital record of when waste bins are emptied and link these records to the respective addresses. For this purpose, a small transponder chip will be attached to each bin and scanned by the waste collection vehicle when it is emptied. Your cooperation is required for the smooth implementation of this project.
We have sent you some address labels for your registered waste bins with this letter.
1. Please stick the address labels on the lid of your grey bin and, if you have them, also your brown and blue bins in advance before the installation date indicated below.
(if any stickers are missing, please stick a sheet of paper with your address details (street + house number) on the lid of the bin and notify our Customer Service Team.)
2. On the installation date (when grey bins are usually emptied), please also put out your brown and blue bins in a visible location next to the grey bins.
3. In addition to the address sticker you stick on the bins, the commissioned assembly team will also attach a barcode sticker on the side of the bin and a transponder chip under the handle.
Please note:
The bins can be filled normally throughout this preparation period. On the installation date, please leave your bins in the usual grey bin location until you see the new barcode stickers on the left side of the bin. You can then bring the bins back in.
If you lease or manage buildings, please make sure that you stick the address labels on the bins beforehand and that they are put out on the correct date. Please notify your tenants if necessary.
The identification system will be used for waste collection in the city of Essen from 01.01.2024 onwards. From a date yet to be determined, only those bins which have been correctly registered and equipped with a chip will be emptied. In compliance with data protection regulations, the chip and the barcode sticker do not contain any personal data.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the contact details provided on the front of this sheet. Answers to all important questions and answers about the introduction of the identification system are provided on our website at
www.ebe-essen.de/identsystem and are also available in English and Turkish. You can also scan the corresponding QR code.
Thank you very much for your cooperation!
The Identsystem – Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
In 2023, a digital identification system will be introduced in the city of Essen for grey, brown and blue bins. The new system will digitally record when waste bins are emptied and assigns these records to the respective addresses. Small transponder chips and a barcode sticker will be attached to around 220,000 bins in the city of Essen for this purpose. The switch to the new system will be free of charge for Essen households.
How does the identification system work?
Each grey, brown and blue bin in Essen will be equipped with an individual transponder chip and a barcode sticker. A specific address will then be assigned to each bin. When the bins are emptied, the identification features are scanned and recorded by a reader on the tailgate. The data is then transferred to Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen. If a bin has no label and no chip, the process will be interrupted and the bin cannot be emptied. If the bin cannot be emptied for other reasons, e.g. due to parking obstructions or if the bin has not been put out, this is also recorded and stored in the system.
Why has the system been introduced?
The digital system will ensure that bins are managed more efficiently and will provide digital proof of our disposal services. The automatic registration of each individual emptied bin will improve the operational processes of Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen, e.g. when replacing bins. Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen will also be able to answer customer service centre enquiries from members of the public more quickly and easily in the future, as all processes will be digitally available. In the long term, the identification system will also ensure that charges are fairer, as bins which are not correctly registered will not be emptied.
What steps will be taken to prepare all bins in the city for the new system?
In order to be able to implement the identification system, all 220,000 grey, brown and blue bins in Essen will be equipped with the identification features. All homeowners and housing associations will also receive a letter with information about how the bins will be equipped during the course of 2023. This letter will also include identification labels for each individual grey, blue and brown bin and a deadline for the labels to be applied. Homeowners will then be required to affix the identification labels to the lid of each bin so that the bins can be assigned to their property. All bins (grey, brown and blue) must then be moved to the grey bin emptying location on the specified installation date so that the installation teams can equip them with the transponder chips and barcode stickers. If bins are not at the required location, Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen will notify their owners by posting a flyer and will give them a new date for a second attempt.
Who has decided that the bins need to be equipped for this system?
The city of Essen has made this decision. Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen has been commissioned to carry out the work.
Will the identification system increase the waste disposal charges?
No. The introduction and operation of the identification system are free of charge for citizens of the city of Essen. Furthermore, the system will not result in any increase in waste disposal charges.
Will there be any additional costs for installation?
No, the installation is a service provided by Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen. Citizens do not need to be present in person during the installation. You are only required to provide your support by ensuring that your grey, blue and brown bins are marked and accessible on the required days.
Who will be contacted by Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen?
In Essen, all of our customers, i.e. homeowners who also receive property tax notices, will receive a letter from Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen. Tenants will not receive a letter.
Which bins will need identification labels?
Each grey, brown and blue bin registered with the city will need to be labelled.
Who will equip my bins with the transponder chip and barcode sticker?
The bins will be equipped by a company hired by Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen. The equipment teams will carry an identification letter issued by Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen for the installation of the equipment.
Some of the bins on my street have the new equipment, but not mine. Why?
In the case of bins where we have identified a discrepancy between our data and the situation at the property, these bins will not initially be equipped. These discrepancies may relate to the size or number of bins. Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen will subsequently adjust the tonnage volume accordingly. If homeowners would like to make a change, they will need to contact the EBE Customer Service Centre as usual or fill out the container form on the EBE website.
Furthermore, some (mainly brown) bins have been in use for so many years that they do not have a small nest for the transponder chip. These bins will be replaced with new ones which have already been equipped with the chip and the barcode sticker.
Will my personal data be stored on the chip or sticker?
No. The identification features of the sticker only contain the address and the bin identification number. Customers‘ personal data is not included. The identification system is already being used in other municipalities and districts and meets all data protection requirements.
Do I have to have my bins equipped for the new system?
As the public waste management authority, the City of Essen is authorised to specify procedures for waste collection. This decision was made on the basis of a council decision dated 14.06.2022, submission 0871/22, and the City subsequently commissioned Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen to introduce an identification system. You are therefore required to use the new system.
Please note: Bins that are not equipped will no longer be emptied after a date yet to be determined, as Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen will assume that no waste disposal charges have been paid for these bins.
When will the identification system be launched?
The identification system is scheduled to launch in 2024. The bins need to be equipped in advance for this purpose.
How can I tell if my bin has a chip?
When the equipment team has installed the chip under the handle bar, they will attach a barcode sticker to the side of the bin, which must remain permanently on the bin.
Will the new identification system affect my bin collection schedule?
No. Nothing will change for citizens as long as the bins have been correctly labelled.
Will the system recognise when the bin can be emptied?
Yes, the system in the waste collection vehicle will receive the current data before each collection. Only those bins registered in the system which have a transponder chip will be emptied. Bins that have been reported missing and bins without a chip can generally no longer be emptied in the future.
Will my waste be weighed or recorded in the system?
The identification system only records the fact that the bin has been emptied. No details about the waste or weights are recorded.
Is it still possible to dispose of excess amounts of waste?
Yes, general waste sacks can be purchased at the published locations and the normal household quantity can be put out with the respective bin for collection as usual.
Why won’t the yellow bin be equipped?
Remondis has been commissioned to empty yellow bins in Essen, which is why the yellow bin is not included in the current scheme.
Why haven’t I received a letter from Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen?
Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen isin the process of writing to all homeowners in Essen. This will take place gradually over a period of several months. It is therefore possible that you have not yet received your letter. Please refrain from sending an enquiry about this letter until October 2023. If you have not received a letter by then, please contact the Essen Customer Service Centre of Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen by email at identsystem@ebe-essen.de or by phone at 0201/854-2121.
Do you have any questions?
Please contact our Customer Service Centre. You can contact the Essen Customer Service Centre of Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen by email at identsystem@ebe-essen.de or by phone at 0201/854-2121.