France Struggles with Implementation of Mandatory Organic Waste Sorting by 2024

From January 1, 2024, you will need to sort your organic waste, carrot peelings, egg shells and other food residue. Aren’t you ready? Don’t worry, your municipalities aren’t really either.

In fact, according to the Agec law (Anti-waste for a circular economy), the obligation concerns communities: they must offer their citizens a solution for sorting biowaste. Because today, a third of the contents of French people’s trash cans is made up of food waste, or 83 kg of waste per inhabitant per year, buried or incinerated, even though they could be recycled.

One hundred thousand tons per year

In the Var, the deposit of this waste is estimated at more than one hundred thousand tonnes per year. Extracting them from household waste would reduce the weight of our bins by around 30% and reduce their cost. But, from east to west of the department, we are far from the mark.

Of course, many communities have started distributing individual composters. But these advances mainly concern suburban housing. If this represents up to 80% of housing in the most rural sectors, cities are richer in dense and vertical housing, in other words buildings.

There, elected officials responsible for waste management agree that collecting bio-waste is much more complicated.

Collective green space

Collective composters can be the start of a solution. Sometimes in residences with a green space, such as those made available in around thirty co-ownerships by the Sittomat in the Toulouse area and the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Sometimes in the very heart of villages like the one recently installed by the Dracénie Provence Verdon agglomeration community in Sillans-La Cascade, or by Provence Verte, via the Sived NG in Montfort-sur-Argens.

Question of will

However, these systems rely on the particular involvement of citizens, who must volunteer to ensure the proper functioning of the composter.

Communities should be able to offer their citizens a solution for sorting their food waste. In any case, this is what the Agec law provides. Photo Frank Muller.

It is rather a collection system that those responsible are working on. “We are considering a voluntary contribution system”, specifies Éric Audibert, mayor of Montfort and president of Sived. Like the buried columns dedicated to selective sorting into which everyone brings their packaging. “Studies are underway”echoes Patrick Martinelli, mayor of Pierrefeu and responsible for these questions at the Mediterranean-Porte des Maures community of communes.

Public funds

Indeed, continues Eric Audibert, also vice-president of Provence verte, delegate for agriculture, “each municipality has its specificity and the implementation of a collection must be done as precisely as possible: to obtain results, you have to go to the lace“. Especially, he emphasizes, relaying his Pierrefeucain counterpart, that this collection is expensive.

“We are also guardians of public funds, recalls Sophie Dufour, deputy mayor of Draguignan and vice-president of the Dracénie Provence Verdon conurbation, responsible for waste management. We must not blow up the taxpayers’ bill!” At Sittomat, we readily talk about a collection and treatment cost of 500 euros per tonne, compared to 100 euros per tonne of household waste. At that price, it might as well be effective.

Land and opportunities

Or, specifies Patrick Martinelli, “there is also a problem of outlets”. “Before collecting, you have to know what you will do with it”, adds Gilles Vincent, president of the Toulon area union and vice-president of the Métropole TPM responsible for these issues. However, explains the one who is also mayor of Saint-Mandrier, “land where to store and process this waste is rare in the area”. A stronger when it must be located more than two hundred meters from any dwelling in order to avoid the inconvenience of fermentable waste.

Horizon 2025?

Between Sittomat and Sived, a collaboration could take shape. The two unions and their respective presidents are exploring avenues of common ground that would allow local recovery – composting and methanization of residues. “The goal, recalls Éric Audibert, is that this waste travels as few kilometers as possible.”

If they admit to having missed the mark of January 1, elected officials hope to have found a recovery site by the end of 2024 for widespread implementation of collection by 2025. Ambitious? “We must not leave as a loser”says Gilles Vincent.

Among those who are resistant to sorting food waste, the lack of space, the cost and the inconvenience are highlighted as constraints. Photo V. R..

And what about the population?

If communities are not ready, what about their residents? What we know (1) is that today, residual household waste represents on average nationally 250 kg per year per inhabitant. In the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, we are rather at 363 kg per year and per inhabitant. And it’s even worse in the Var, with 394 kg of residual household waste per year and per inhabitant. Figures which could in particular be explained by a lesser sensitivity to the sorting gesture, but also to the high tourist influx.

We can therefore wonder about the use that the people of Var will make of the systems offered by their community for sorting bio-waste at source.

According to an Odoxa barometer for Suez published last November, 58% of Paca residents have heard of the entry into force of this measure. They are even 61% in the Var. Moreover, in the South region, 45% of those questioned say they have already experienced sorting organic waste, 27% would be willing to get started on January 1, but 28% say they are resistant to it.

The latter justify their refusal to recycle bio-waste by the constraints they see – the lack of space (47%), the costs generated (25%) – but also the possible nuisances, such as odors (45%), the dirt and pests that can be attracted (51%).

1. According to Ademe.

Ademe recommends “getting started”

How does Ademe (energy transition agency) assist municipalities?

We work both with communities and with waste management unions, with whom we have a facilitating role: we provide data or guides and methodologies to define what is most suitable. For example, we are talking about different methodologies depending on whether we are talking about rural or urban areas. We also have a financing role, notably via the green fund.

Where are the Var municipalities in their development of solutions for sorting bio-waste at source?

None yet offer this collection in a 100% generalized manner. On the other hand, 85% are engaged in an approach and have launched projects. They must support residents who are looking for a solution.

Before collection, the question of processing – and the site where it is carried out – of this waste appears to be a real obstacle.

This is indeed a problem, especially since we must be attentive to the mileage we put on the waste to process it. But at Ademe, we are more in favor of the idea that you have to get started. Because today the landfills are overflowing and the TGAP (general tax on polluting activities, Editor’s note) increase.

Exactly, what are the challenges of sorting biowaste?

Today, in France, on average 30% of our residual household waste is fermentable. This waste is either incinerated or sent to landfill, even though it represents organic wealth. Removing them from residual household waste means reducing their quantity and therefore their cost. And of course, it is essential to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

Julia Maric is “biowaste” project manager at Ademe Paca. Photo DR.

2023-12-26 07:30:31
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