Recycling

French supermarkets to begin ‘automatic refunds’: how will this work?

The refunds will come into force from 2025 and are intended to encourage recycling packaging

Comment: Recycling cannot solve plastic pollution problem alone

How one organisation is calling for less waste in a bid to fight pollution

France way behind on reaching recycling targets, report shows

A 2012 target to recycle 75% of household packaging has still not been met

practical

Save hens from French slaughterhouses – and get free eggs in return

Company says the chickens it rescues can help recycle household waste

From corks to screw caps: French wine bottles are changing

Screw caps are winning out on ‘drinkable’ wines and recyclability, but are still facing resistance among premium wines

SEE: Old French skis turned into colourful tables and benches

A cooperative is selling the recycled pieces to mountain businesses or members of the public

Glass bottle return system returns to Paris supermarkets

Leclerc and Système U have opened new glass deposit machines this week

Are people being fined over France’s new obligatory food waste rules?

The new rules came into force on January 1

Is everyone in France affected by new obligatory home waste rules?

Plastic, metal, cardboard, glass, clothes and now ‘biowaste’ must be sorted

Rats are not attracted to compost heaps, assures French waste expert

The new food waste law means many people are thinking of composting but worry about vermin and smells

Compost, scratchcard ‘scam’, toy eco-rating: green news in France

The government has been accused of greenwashing gambling with its biodiversity lottery and a Strasbourg charity is collecting food waste by bike

Seven questions about new obligatory composting law in France

We look at concerns readers have about the rules to sort biowaste from 2024

Most homes in France not ready to separate food waste come January 1

The law comes into force in the new year but most residents and local councils do not yet have the equipment or services to comply

Career change: Africa safari guide to recycled art in France

We talk to Josie Easton about how wildlife still influences her ‘trash-to-treasure’ artwork in Limousin

How to dispose of different waste items in France

What to bin, what to return and what to recycle? Our guide on how to manage your household waste efficiently

France moves to introduce glass deposit scheme in supermarkets

Trials are due next year but it is not expected to be rolled out nationwide before 2025

Do not be fooled by ‘compostable’ plastic, says French consumer group

Recycling, reusing or reducing consumption of plastic is better, according to UFC-Que Choisir

Do you need to clean out containers before recycling in France?

We take a look at whether you need to wash bottles, jars and yoghurt pots in France or whether they can be recycled directly

Returnable glass beer and wine bottles making a comeback in France

A group of ten organisations are trying to standardise the ‘use and return’ practice across the country for environmental and economic reasons

France doubles cash bonus for repairing appliances. How can I benefit?

The scheme offers a maximum of €90 to stop electrical appliances from needlessly being thrown away

How to cut down on yoghurt pot plastic pollution

On average, each French inhabitant eats 128 yoghurts a year - but many of the plastic pots they come in are difficult to recycle

French supermarket Carrefour trials vouchers-for-recycling scheme

It will be trialled in six shops and offer vouchers for recycling items such as toothbrushes, pens, tights, frying pans, toys, and cooking pots

What are you supposed to do with old car tyres in France?

Used car tyres must be disposed of according to specific guidelines in France. We take a look at the rules

Change to recycling rules in France and what can go in yellow bins

A new rule is said to simplify the system for the public but we look at why some campaigners feel betrayed

Four everyday eco-friendly changes launching in France this year

We look at the details of four small-but-significant developments

Cart horses collect Christmas trees and ‘bring joy’ across France

Around 200 towns use horse-drawn carts to collect recycling, take children to school or senior citizens to market

The steam train in France which runs on coal – and olives

A steam train in the south of France, which has been running for more than 100 years, has begun experimenting with using olives as fuel

Recycling, repairs, receipts: Environmental changes in France in 2023

We look at Europe’s first waste water recycling system in Sables-d’Olonne, the growing list of items you can get money to repair and more

French wind turbine blades to get a second life as car body panels

Previously virtually impossible to recycle, the carbon fibre blades can now be saved from landfill and re-formed

New grant launches to repair home goods in France: how much for what?

The amount available under the new government scheme varies depending on device. Coffee machines, washing machines and tumble dryers are included

Paris metro and tram seats transformed into slippers

A French company is selling slippers made from leftover fabric used to renovate the Paris public transportation network, featuring the unmistakable patterns

Old clothes turned into home insulation and sold in French DIY shops

The insulation is made from donated charity garments that are too badly damaged to be resold

France to launch grants for people to repair home electronic goods

Aid amount will depend on the type of appliance needing to be repaired with around 30 household items, including laptops and washing machines, deemed eligible

How to find cheaper petrol and get reduced rail fares in France

From finding the cheapest petrol in your area to reduced fares on holiday train travel, here's how you can make your money go further this month.

How to dispose of old fire extinguishers in France

Fire extinguishers in France must be recycled according to strict guidelines. We look at the different options available

How to earn money by recycling ink cartridges in France

Instead of throwing away empty ink cartridges in France, you get could up to €4 a piece for giving them a second life

French town collects stale bread to make energy and fertiliser

Residents complained that people were using leftover bread to feed the birds, attracting rats, so they came up with a solution

‘Free shops’ to be rolled out in France after successful trial

The zero-waste concept is said to be unique in France and run by a waste management union

France must manage water better, researchers say after summer droughts

Solutions to shortages include recycling wastewater, collecting rainwater and removing salt from seawater

French town to become first in Europe to recycle used water

Sables-d’Olonne in Vendée is to take waste water, clean it and redirect it back into the drinking water system

How can I get rid of an old mobile phone in France without binning it?

We look into the options for exchanging, donating or selling old devices

How to recycle in France: Seven common questions answered

Should you clean the yoghurt pot before recycling it, do you need to take the lid off of bottles, can you recycle plastic packaging? We explain how it works

US firm to build ‘hard-to-treat’ plastic recycling plant in France

Analysts say the government will not hit its target of recycling 100% of plastics by 2025 even with massive investment in the Normandy factory

Repair Cafés: a way to save broken items from the bin in France

There are now 400 such venues in France. We visited one in Nice to see how it works

‘New bins only make recycling in France more difficult’

The Connexion reader shares frustration at waste and recycling bins which are so impractical they may discourage not encourage recycling

Covid-19 France: Can I use bottle bank?

Am I allowed to offload all of my empty jars and bottles at the bottle bank?

What can I do with used gas bottles in France?

The best step is to take the bottle back for recycling at a shop that sells the same brand, or most local tips - 'déchetteries' - will take them

Bordeaux to have glass and steel Christmas tree instead of ‘dead tree’

The 11-metre high structure will be made of recycled materials and comes after controversy last year when officials announced they were cancelling a traditional tree

Green news France: ‘Digital imprint’ bill not enough, SNCF no plastic

New bill aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of digital technology is welcome but does not not go far enough, hazardous paint factory opposed in Provence and more

Home goods, clothes: How to find best places to recycle in France

New ecology ministry website lists sites as well as tips for repairing goods on but comes as new documentary questions whether the country’s recycling plants and tips work properly

Green news France: Wind farm angers fishermen, €8M water reuse pledge

Breton fisherman responding to an offshore windfarm in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc, €8million pledge for water re-use project ‘circular water economy’ and more

New material designed to make French yoghurt pots recyclable by 2025

Plastiques Venthenat, a specialist factory in Barbezieux, Charente, has developed a polystyrene film which can be printed in the same way as the wax-paper laminate

France’s travel list changes and five updates for air and rail trips

Passengers blacklisted over ‘chargeback’ refunds, more winter routes and air crews to wear suits made from recycled plastic

Hotel bed linen gets a second life in novel French recycling company

Edwige Ciria travelled the world staying in luxury hotels on business trips spotted a gap in the market for the linen they use in their bedrooms and bathrooms and on tables

New French anti-waste law ‘is doomed to failure’

MPs are set to discuss a new anti-waste law this autumn to improve France’s record as one of the poorest recycling countries in Western Europe

French architect’s scheme saves building waste from skips

Nearly 75% of all waste comes from the construction industry, according to the government environment agency Ademe, a figure that architect Joanne Boachon is hoping to change

Innovative French service offering airline recycling and storage

Tarmac Aerosave, based across the runway from Tarbes Lourdes airport in Hautes-Pyrénées, is the world’s number one for aircraft and engine recycling

French town turns old Covid face masks into rulers for schools

The mayor who is a teacher is fronting an initiative to collect discarded surgical-style masks and make stationery for local children, which is both recycled and recyclable