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Environment: pricing by weight, an effective measure to reduce waste
Environment: pricing by weight, an effective measure to reduce waste – (France 2)
In ten years, town halls have seen their waste sorting expenses jump by 50%. Hence the idea of encouraging individuals to limit their non-recyclable waste: the more bins they fill, the more they pay. More than 7 million people are subject to this progressive tariff.
In the kitchen of Claire Harthong, a resident of Dannemarie (Haut-Rhin), there are several garbage bins. All household waste is billed according to its quantity. The bill depends on the number of bins taken out and their weight. Each one is identified by chip with a number, and the contact details of the inhabitants. “It allows you to see if people have paid or not paid the bill”explains Frédéric Blondet, collection agent.
Ever heavier waste budgets for municipalities
More and more French people are affected by this type of collection: 7.2 million people, who throw away 132 kilos of household waste each year, compared to 250 kilos for the rest of the population. Communities, whose waste budgets are very heavy, thus save money. “In ten years, the community budget has increased by 50% for waste sorting. We cannot continue like this,” assures Sylvain Waserman, CEO of Ademe. Other systems include collection points, which replace the weekly tour of garbage collectors.
