The paper deals with the relationships between people and waste in the Middle Ages, primarily in urban environments in Central Europe. At the center of interest are the attitudes of the inhabitants of medieval cities towards cleanliness and a description of different waste management practices. This paper also describes an experiment using ashes to launder clothing as one possible use of a particular waste material. Keywords: Middle Ages, waste, waste management, recycling, environment, hygiene, cleanliness, ashes, clothes laundering