Protest against the abolition of door-to-door garbage collection in Haute-Gironde and Libournais

While a reform of waste collection in Haute-Gironde and Libournais must apply from October 1, 2023, the collective “Touche pas à mes trashes” is organizing a demonstration on Saturday June 10 in Saint-André-de -Cubzac, in protest. One of the measures of this reform, the abolition of door-to-door garbage collection, is causing serious concern.

« The situation is ubiquitous, it’s delirium. We’re going straight into the wall “, gets carried away Arnaud Bobet. One of the founders of the collective “Don’t touch my trash” and opposition municipal councilor in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, close to the right, went up.

At issue: the reform of waste collection in Libournais and Haute-Gironde. The joint intermunicipal syndicate collection and recovery of household waste from Libournais-Haute Gironde (SMICVAL) wishes to apply it from October 1, 2023.

One measure in particular crystallizes the tensions: that of the abolition of door-to-door garbage collection. Users will therefore have to deposit their household waste, recyclable waste, glass and organic materials themselves in collective bins. By 2025, 200,000 inhabitants of 138 municipalities will be affected.

Passed in September 2022, the reform was designed to limit the costs linked to the general tax on polluting activities (TGAP) and the landfilling of waste. It would thus make it possible to limit these costs, which are set to quadruple by 2025, according to SMICVAL.

To protest against this measure, the collective “Do not touch my trash cans” organizes event this Saturday, June 10 at 2:30 p.m., in Saint-André-de-Cubzac. “People are confused and angry. We want to demonstrate to SMICVAL that the population does not want this reform”, emphasizes Arnaud Bobet. The collective also brings together five associations and represents 2,500 people.

According to him, the union only puts forward financial arguments while the social, ecological and health consequences are also to be taken into account. “How will the elderly or people with reduced mobility who cannot get around do it? And those who will have to take the car to drop off their garbage? The public service will be transferred to households and this will weigh on the most modest”lightning-t-il.

An opinion shared by the mayor of Coutras, Jérôme Cosnard, without a political label, who considers the measure “absurd”. However, his town already has these collective bins, called “voluntary contribution points”, located in the hypercentre. “Exactly, we know the consequences. This makes everyday life more complex, especially for people with reduced mobility, and most of the time, people take these bins for a recycling center. To keep the place clean, you have to pay an extra service”he explains.

Even if Jérôme Cosnard recognizes that the SMICVAL has highlighted the major issue of waste, it remains opposed to this reform. “We are not going to solve the question of waste by reducing the public service and by constraining the taxpayer, while putting people on the sidelines” he laments.

While the reform is criticized for having been sloppy and not subject to public consultation according to its detractors, the president of SMICVAL, Sylvain Guinaudie, affirms that it is the fruit of a two-year reflection and that a citizen panel has been set up, made up of a significant group of inhabitants.

“An internet consultation platform has also been created, called SMICVAL citizen, and paper and online questionnaires were sent to 90,000 households. We received 10,000 responses in total.”assure Sylvain Guinaudie.

Above all, an argument no longer passes in the eyes of the president of the union: that of people with reduced mobility, whom the reform would leave behind. “Isolated, elderly and/or people with reduced mobility will be identified in partnership with the mayors of the municipalities. We will provide a bespoke service on a case-by-case basis. The agents who were previously rippers will take care of bringing the waste of these people to the voluntary contribution points“, he asserts.

I find it indecent to come and point out the problem that waste can pose for the elderly, when for other subjects, no one cares.

Sylvain Guinaudie, president of SMICVAL

France 3 Aquitaine, WEB writing

“The controversy around this subject has become a political debate. We try to manipulate minds“, estimates Sylvain Guinaudie, adding that this measure already exists in 20% of French municipalities and that it works.

Sylvain Guinaudie also wants to recontextualize the reform: “The world of waste will be completely transformed within 5 years, with more and more regulatory obligations which generate additional expenses and my role is to protect households from a cost evolution which would be unbearable. If we continue like this, the bill could increase by 30 to 50 euros per month and per household”he says.

In addition, the president of the union explains that this reform will make it possible to develop new services which tend to help the population reduce their waste and thus lead to an ecological transition. “We are going to offer a washing service for nappies, a deposit system for containers or even help to buy washable monthly protection.“, he details.

Finally, while a voluntary drop-off point will be set up for every 100 to 150 inhabitants, there will be twice as many collective bins to collect organic matter. “The idea is once again to reduce waste and create a circular economy. Our fruit and vegetable peelings will be collected to be transformed into compost, and this fertilizer will be made available to market gardeners.“, he develops.

However, in the Dordogne, the abolition of door-to-door garbage collection and the new incentive fee have also caused controversy. The program Special Envoy broadcast on France 2 had even produced a report on this subject in January 2023, faced with the extent of the discontent of the inhabitants.

For the time being, in Haute-Gironde and in Libournais, the incentive fee will not be applied before 2027, said the president of SMICVAL.