It would be nice if a horse-drawn cart would come round and take away your recycling – as it does in the town of Le Mans – but that’s not the case for most French towns.

Local authorities are responsible for the household waste management in their area, which means that the rules on what can be recycled and where to put it vary from place to place.

In most areas the mairie will deliver a leaflet outlining the recycling protocol, and you can also find details on the website of your local préfecture.

Recycling bins

A lot of your everyday household waste can be recycled – paper, cardboard, tins, glass and certain types of plastic.

In most areas you can’t just leave your own household bin outside for collection, you need to put the waste into the nearest recycling bin.

These are generally the ones with the yellow lids. If you’re in a city you probably have a wheelie bin for your apartment block or street. In smaller places there will likely be large wheelie bins at a couple of strategic points around the village.

In some areas the mairie distributes recycling bags.

Instead of wheelie bins, some towns use fixed point bins for recycling. These should be clearly marked as recyclage (recycling).

If you want to try composting your food waste to make compost for the garden, some local authorities distribute composters for free.

Glass

Glass cannot usually go in the yellow recycling bin – and must be collected and disposed of separately.

Often public bins for glass are available alongside the bins for paper, plastic and cardboard, but some places have a separate recycling area for glass. If your local area doesn’t have one, or you’re struggling to find it, most supermarkets have a glass recycling bin the in the car park.

Coffee pods

If you’re a Nespresso or similar devotee, aluminium coffee pods can now be recycled in some areas. The city of Paris announced in 2019 that coffee pods can be recycled via the yellow-lid bin, and may other local authorities have followed suit.

Electrical recycling

Old electronic equipment can be taken to waste collection and recycling centres (déchèterie). Small electricals – as well as burned-out lights and empty batteries – can also be taken to collection points in many superstores. 

Déchèterie: What you need to know before going to a French recycling centre

It is also worth noting also that, in the case of smaller electrical items, shops – in most circumstances – must accept an old product from a customer who no longer wants it, if the customer is buying a replacement. This includes buying products online.

A useful online tool to decide how and where you can recycle everyday household objects in your area is  here

Batteries

All shops selling batteries are obliged by law to take back the old ones for free and in supermarkets you’ll see tall plastic containers that old batteries can be dropped into.

Clothes

Unwanted clothes can be put in special collection containers found around town – often in supermarket carparks – or left at in a dedicated bin at the déchèterie.

Paint and oil

You need to go to your nearest déchèterie to dispose of paints, toxic products and waste oil from vehicles.

Car tyres

Unlike most other products, car tyres cannot be taken to the déchèterie. Instead, you should take them to a garage, which is required by law to take them off your hands free of charge.

Larger products

Larger items, such as pieces of furniture, washing machines or refrigerators can be collected by the local authority. In some areas you will need to arrange the collection in advance while others, mainly cities, have bulky waste collection points where you can leave your unwanted items on a certain day of the week. Check with your local authority for their protocol.

Some stores also offer a deliver-and-collect scheme if you’re buying larger items like sofa or washing machines, where they will take away your old item.