Combustion processes are known to produce dioxins and especially municipal waste incineration is thought to have the highest contribution to the general background. On the other hand the general acceptance of non-thermal waste treatment methods such as composting is much higher than incineration. The results of an estimation on the input of PCDD/PCDF to Germany show that besides the thermal processes so-called sinks for pollutants, such as sewage sludge, compost, and foliage represent a reservoir to release dioxins by use in agriculture.