How to recycle in France: Seven common questions answered
In France, more people recycle their waste every year instead of sending it to landfill.
In 2014, around 44% of the country’s people systematically recycled used packaging. This share rose to 48% in 2018, and the latest figures from 2021 show that 51% of people in France recycle regularly.
Up to 89% of people recycle occasionally.
Each household recycles the equivalent of 54kg of packaging each year, of which 20kg is paper, cardboard, steel, aluminum or plastic and 34kg is glass.
Part of this improvement is due to the ease of recycling. In January this year, many municipalities across France introduced a new method of throwing most packaging in the yellow recycling bin.
This includes plastic packaging, egg cartons, toothpaste tubes, coffee capsules, etc.
Wooden packaging cannot be recycled and must go in the main bin.
To find out what can be recycled in your community and what bin it belongs in, you can search with this online tool developed by pro-recycling company Citeo.
Enter the name of your community and the product you want to recycle and it will tell you where and how to recycle it.
You can also download the Citeo phone application “Guide du tri” that will help you to recycle properly.
Here we answer seven community questions on the topic.
Read more: How does recycling work in France?
Seven frequently asked questions about recycling in France
What are the different colored barrels for?
Public rubbish bins in France are usually four different colors.
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Gray / Black: These are the general waste bins
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Yellow: These are the main recyclable bins that can contain most recyclable materials: plastic packaging, cardboard packaging, aluminum packaging, etc. In some municipalities, you also put paper waste in this bin
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Blue: This is for paper waste, including magazines and notebooks
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Green: The waste glass bin
Can all plastic packaging go in the yellow bin?
In some municipalities you can put almost all recyclables in the yellow bin, including paper and magazines. There are separate bins for glass and, in some communities, separate bins for paper products.
Check the Citeo search tool for triercestdonner if you want to be sure.
Do I have to clean packaging before disposing of it in the recycling bin?
You should make sure they’re empty, but a little food in them shouldn’t cause any problems. For example, a yoghurt pot or a pasta sauce jar does not have to be completely cleaned before recycling. They are cleaned in the recycling center.
Can I stuff one pack into another to save space in the bin?
This is not recommended as it makes it difficult for the machines in the recycling center to sort the different types of packaging. You can shred bottles or other packaging to save space.
Do I have to remove the bottle caps before recycling?
Yes. For example, if you have a wine bottle with a plastic bottle cap, you should put the bottle in the used glass bin and the cap in the yellow bin with the rest of the recycling. Cork bottle caps cannot be recycled.
Can I recycle spiral bound journals or notepads?
Yes. These can be recycled with all other paper products. In some municipalities this means that they are thrown in the yellow bin, in other municipalities there are separate paper bins.
You can recycle magazines, paper covers with the small plastic window, stapled or spiral-bound notepads, etc.
It is recommended not to tear or crumple the papers for easier sorting. If a document contains sensitive information, you should cut out that part to keep it or just tear it off.
What items can’t I recycle?
You should not recycle hygiene products such as used tissues or wet wipes and they should be thrown in the main household waste.
Wood is not recyclable and food waste should be composted whenever possible. Other examples are styrofoam or needles.
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