Gard: in Pont-Saint-Esprit, residents refuse the new paid garbage deposit system

Household waste is no longer collected in front of homes. So every night, residents leave bags all over the city center of Pont-Saint-Esprit (Gard). Prohibited deposits that the environment brigade has seen increase in recent months. The new system has been tested since January. Everyone must bring their household waste to one of the six dedicated columns. Each bag is charged. “I happened to open it, it didn’t work, so I put it on the floor [le sac poubelle, ndlr]”recognizes Maryline Courrier, the manager of a hotel.

A subscription

We don’t pay by weight. But for each 50 liter bag, it is between 4 and 6 euros, depending on the family composition. Some residents refuse this subscription. A third did not go to get their badge. “For me, the garbage should be put in the containers as usual”, estimates a resident who finds it too expensive. In the long term, some households could benefit. The new bag subscription will replace the old household waste tax. The basic subscription provides for two bags per month. It’s not much, so the bags are abandoned or filled to the maximum. The town collects a tonne of wild rubbish every day.