What is planned?

Hülter: Our biggest project is quality control in city cleaning. We are shortly going to measure how clean it really is. Then the council can decide how clean it should be. And then we will look at whether we need more or fewer resources on the streets. According to our customer survey, residents want the image of the city to improve, so we should carry out the measurements within two years.

How happy are you with the cleanliness of streets and squares when you go through the city?

Hülter: Let me put it like this: I’m happy we are needed (laughs). We are not as well positioned as we could be. Here we are in agreement with the council and the city administration. In Bonn we only clean half as much as the NWR average: 1.2 times per week per metre of street. The NRW average is 2.5, as a middle value for all types of cleaning. That means we clean too little but we do it diligently and well. If we were looking at a traffic light, we would be in the yellow area as far as quality goes, exactly like the majority of large German cities, although most of them spend more money.

You have conducted a customer satisfaction survey. What have you taken away from that?

Hülter: Residents are happy with our services but there are also areas that we could improve. People complain, for example, that we don’t always put rubbish bins back in their places as well as we could. We are going to look more closely at this. The survey also criticised the fact that recycling and harmful material collection centres were not always very accessible. We are extending opening hours in 2018. We will remain open for longer on one day and close at between 6 and 7pm instead of 5pm. On Saturdays we will extend opening times by two hours to 2pm. In addition both recycling centres should open on Saturdays.

And otherwise?

Hülter: We will place more waste bins or individual bins with a larger volume in the city. We will look at this according to need and will begin by focussing on the Rhine and the city centre. In addition, we want to offer residents a full service next year, which we currently only have for black bins, i.e. collect bins from premises, empty them and put them back. It is intended to be bookable at a fee for green and paper bins.

Many residents do not find the system in Bonn for bulky waste, with set collection times once a quarter, very good. It often leads to considerable chaos in front of houses…

Hülter: From next year we will offer the collection of bulky waste on demand in a fifth of the city, as a pilot project for two years. Residents will be able to book an appointment within 14 days either by phone, in writing or over the internet. We will then collect the bulky waste. We want to back this up with a clear out service, from attic to cellar. We will let people know which areas we choose on their refuse calendar.

Have set days for bulky waste collection been a failure?

Hülter: The new system will allow people’s needs to be met more accurately. The problem with the current system is people putting out items illegally. A lot of things are put out that aren’t bulky waste. We leave it, because we hope people will bring it in again because we don’t want the cost of illegal rubbish to affect the charges made to all residents. Three days later we collect the rest. Under the pilot project, we can already ask people on the phone what they want taken away and in what quantities and can advise them. Bulky waste will remain free, otherwise it ends up in the countryside.

You are also planning changes to garden waste?

Hülter: Our primary objective is to cut down on waste. If we can succeed in motivating residents not to put their garden waste in the green bin but to turn it into compost on their property, that’s good for the environment and for fees. Residents can also bring garden waste free of charge to collection points. Our 14 garden waste collection points will be improved. The systems at theses sites must be urgently improved. This is why we want to make personnel available there to advise residents. An expansion is planned for 2018.

But composting is only possible when you have a garden…

Hülter: Yes, and the garden must also be large enough. If you produce too much compost, the nutrients get into the ground water. We will gladly advise.

Will Bonners have to expect higher fees?

Hülter: In recent years they have continually gone down. I don't see any increases in the near future. I would rather first make use of all the synergies in the business and take optimisation measures.

(Original text: Andreas Baumann / Translated by Kate Carey)