Waste Management in France
Who organises the waste collection?
I know you are on the edge of your seats to learn more about the administrative organisation of waste management in France ????! We aim to please, so here are a couple of things to bear in mind :
- Every city organises waste management as it pleases. This means, that if you’re in Bordeaux, Paris or Marseille, a few things can change :
- Bin colours
- Timetable of collection
- Waste contractors
- While waste management is handled by the cities directly, it is financed with tax money. But don’t worry, this cost is included in the local taxes you pay. It’s not an added tax.
How is waste collected?
Depending on the city you live in, the collection timetable will differ. There are a couple of things to also remember:
- If you live in a big city, you only have to think about putting the correct item into the correct bin. Then, the bin is put out on the street for collection by the contractors.
- In smaller cities, it is your responsibility to get the bins out on the street. Don’t forget to check the timetables to avoid an overflowing bin, that’s smelly!
How do I recycle in France?
In every city, you get at least two bins, one for classic waste (⚫️) and one to recycle paper and plastic (????). Depending on where you live, you can have another bin for glass (⚪️) and one paper (????), separated from the bin for plastic.
Glass
If you don’t have a specific bin at home for glass (⚪️), you’ll find them in public areas for public use. It’s usually a big container (????????⚫️) or grey bin that looks like this in Paris.
Plastic
You usually dispose of plastic in your recycling bin (????) at home. In some cities, you’ll find waste containers in the street.
Cardboard & Paper & Metal
If you have a specific bin for these, kudos! Otherwise, you trash it in the same bin as plastic (????).
Classic waste
Every other waste is trashed in a classic bin (⚫️) (vegetable peels for example)
Bulky waste
Cities organise the collection of bulky waste such as broken furniture. You usually need to declare it on your city’s website. You’ll then get a number and a timetable for the waste to be made available on the street. This is called “encombrants” and you want to search online for “encombrants+your city”. There is a form to fill out, and you’ll be assigned a time window during which you can stash your bulky waste on the street. There is an assigned number, which you have to write on the bulky item, to confirm that you have officially registered it, so remember to have paper and a marker handy!
If I have a garden and trimmed some trees, can I burn the waste in my garden?
No, it is prohibited to burn green things (dry or wet plants) at home, either with a garden incinerator or in the open air.
And for other kinds of garbage?
I’ll refer you to this website. You just have to type what you’re interested to get rid of and it’ll tell you where and how to recycle it.
Practise recycling
Now that you are a recycling champion, click here to play the Recycling Game! Can you score full points?
