Overview
- Berlin’s newly published fine schedule raises maximum penalties to €100,000 for large quantities or hazardous waste, formalizing steep increases across categories.
- Fines now range from €250 to €3,000 for discarded cigarette butts, while electronic devices draw €1,000 to €15,000, with smaller litter still subject to lower admonitory fees at officers’ discretion.
- Municipal enforcement retains case-by-case judgment, including the option to issue €55 warnings for minor offenses instead of higher administrative fines.
- Unattended “Zu verschenken” boxes in public space are treated as unlawful deposits, and if authorities remove them, costs can be charged to a property’s general waste fees.
- Recent political proposals from Berlin’s CDU call for more Ordnungsamt staff, dedicated “mülldetectives,” bodycams, and targeted mobile video monitoring at hotspots to strengthen enforcement.