Mayors in south-west France asked to sign petition for door-to-door bin collections
‘The aim is to make our voices heard in parliament’, organiser says
Many Dordogne residents are required to store bins at home and take them to collection points
249 Anurak/Shutterstock
Hundreds of mayors in south-west France have been invited to sign a petition to reinstate door-to-door bin collections by an association that is dissatisfied with the system of incentive fees and drop-off points.
Over 500 mayors in Dordogne were sent the petition on Monday, February 17 by the Association des mécontents de la collecte des déchets en Dordogne (AMCODD).
The petition follows a recommendation from the rapporteur public on February 6 advising the Bordeaux administrative court to rule in favour of the return of door-to-door bin collections in a case brought by the AMCODD.
Read more: Return to door-to-door home rubbish collection expected for many in France
The court is expected to announce its decision on the future of the system before the end of February.
Petition organiser and president of the AMCODD, Florence Poumarède, said the aim is “to make our voice heard in parliament”.
“If just ten mayors sign the petition it would be a total success,” she said.
“But it would be a total failure for them [if they do not sign it], and send out a clear signal to voters. This will be settled at the ballot box in 2026 at the municipal elections.”
The Dordogne-based AMCODD has also joined with its counterparts in the Vendée, Calvados and Vienne, to create a national manifesto calling for “a return to door-to-door collection” and “fair, truly incentive-based pricing”.
Read more: Bin collection fees in France: what changes do you need to know about?
What is an incentive charge for bin collection?
Incentive charges are intended to make people reduce waste and recycle more.
There are various different systems for working out the level of the incentive part of the tax or redevance, including card-based point systems to charge people for their access to communal bins if they put in more than their allocated amount.
Read more: Dordogne residents ready for court battle over ‘incentive’ bin charges
In theory, the system should mean that the charge is lower for those who limit the amount of ordinary household waste they put out via the collection service.
However, the AMCODD argues that the system, which affects around 140,000 homes in Dordogne, is impractical and unfair.
“Homeowners have to do the work themselves, in some cases driving several kilometres,” Ms Poumarède told The Connexion in 2024. “Most people have found they are paying nearly twice as much.”
