Local officials in south-west France search dumped bin bags to identify culprits

Local officials in a town in south-west France are looking through bin bags left on streets or outside communal bins to identify the households responsible – and issuing fines to those who do not use newly-installed communal bins. 

It comes as around 50% of residents are yet to collect keys for a new waste collection system, and many leave bags of rubbish lying next to the large locked communal containers.

Several days per month, 12 officials in Villeneuve-sur-Lot (Lot-et-Garonne) scour the streets searching for dumped bin bags. 

Equipped with cut-resistent gloves, they open bags and search for identifying information such as letters and labels showing the homeowner’s address.

Many residents, now aware of the checks, are taking action to ensure their illegal waste-disposal remains anonymous.

“They take the time to cut out their address, but they don't bother to lift the lid of the container to put their garbage bag inside,” said one worker to media outlet 20Minutes. 

To combat this, workers also stake out bin sites, looking to catch those that leave their waste bags in the open air in the act and issue fines directly.

New waste collection system responsible

The crux of the issue is that the town is implementing a new waste collection system, yet many residents are not complying with new regulations. 

From 2027, the town will move away from the current TEOM (Taxe d'enlèvement des ordures ménagères) billing, which is an additional cost added to a property’s taxe foncière bill for waste collection throughout the year. 

The cost is fixed regardless of how much waste you use, and is set annually by local authorities.

It is moving to an REOM (Redevance d'enlèvement des ordures ménagères) system, with owners charged for how much waste they throw away across the year, measured by how often residents access large communal bins.

These bins are opened via cards or keys given to each household, allowing authorities to trace how many times they do so and charge them accordingly.

The local mairie says the new system will help lower bills. In 2026, the final year that TEOM is levied, the mairie will send out a mock bill for the REOM showing how much people are likely to pay under the new system from 2027 onwards based on the amount they throw away.

Around half of residents in the town are yet to collect their access card for the new waste collection system however, despite it having launched on October 1 and access cards now being mandatory for residents.

Residents yet to collect their cards are now leaving their waste next to the bins, as they cannot open them up – and bin collections are not being carried out door-to-door – hoping someone else who has an access card will throw the additional bags in too.

The mairie says that as time goes on, more checks will be carried out and fines will increase for leaving rubbish roadside. 

On top of fines for littering, they may also be issued an additional fine to cover the waste disposal bill, and repeat offenders will have to go to the mairie for a verbal warning.

Does your mairie use communal bins and REOM collection? Do you think they are better than the previous system? Let us know via feedback@connexionfrance.com