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COVID-19: why most of the recycling centers are closed to the public … but not all?

Most French people have had to stay home since March 17 to stop the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, which continues to claim many lives. Many take the opportunity to sort at home or do gardening work. But what should be done with this waste since most of the recycling centers are closed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic?

What to do with bulky items if the recycling center closest to my home is closed?

The answer given by government coronavirus website is clear:

– “If your recycling center is closed, we invite you to store your bulky items at home pending its reopening.

-If your community informs you, however, that your recycling center remains open for individuals, you can go there with your derogatory travel certificate by checking the box “travel to make purchases of first necessity”.

-In any case, you are advised to regularly consult the website of your municipality or your inter-municipality to find out the rules relating to bulky waste and you should in no case leave them in the wild or on the sidewalk (penalty of up to 1,500 euros and confiscation of the vehicle). “

To fight against wild deposits of bulky items, as here in Boulogne-Billancourt, the Métropole de Grenoble is installing mobile recycling centers. / © Vincent Isore / MAXPPP
To fight against wild deposits of bulky items, as here in Boulogne-Billancourt, the Métropole de Grenoble is installing mobile recycling centers. / © Vincent Isore / MAXPPP

Why has the Beaune Côte & Sud Agglomeration Community reopened recycling centers?

“Wild deposits have started to appear next to the voluntary drop-off points. We started to impose fines on those who had left documents in their waste to identify them “, explains Alain Suguenot, mayor of Beaune and president of the Community of agglomeration Beaune Côte & Sud which brings together 53 municipalities of Côte-d’Or.

“But, this is not satisfactory, especially as there is a very high demand from citizens. So we contacted our partner Bourgogne Recyclage, which manages the 4 recycling centers of the agglomeration and it was kind enough to reopen the two most important sites : Travoisy (Ruffey-lès-Beaune) which is near Beaune and Nolay, in the south. This allows for broad geographic coverage. And so that everything goes well, we have put in place a very strict organization. “

illustration / © France 3 LRillustration / © France 3 LR
illustration / © France 3 LR

Why do you need an appointment to come to the recycling center?

“To begin, access to these recycling centers is reserved for residents of the urban area, in order to avoid a windfall effect for external residents “, specifies Alain Suguenot.

“Then, to be able to deposit our waste, you will first need to make an appointment two days before, it is mandatory.
It will also be necessary to indicate what type of deposit we intend to make, since green waste and rubble are priority. Emmaus being closed, we no longer take large bulky items for example. “

Deposits are limited to a maximum of one passage per week. You will have to come alone, on the appointed day and at the precise time, to the designated recycling center, wearing an individual mask and protective gloves. You must have:
– its derogatory certificate where one will have checked the mention “purchase of first necessity”
– an identity document which will allow verification of the telephone appointment
– its recycling center access card

A green waste deposit in a recycling center / © Amat Michel - MAXPPPA green waste deposit in a recycling center / © Amat Michel - MAXPPP
A green waste deposit in a recycling center / © Amat Michel – MAXPPP

“Finally, we calculated that we should be able to accommodate four people per hour to avoid crowds. It’s experimental, let’s see how it goes, “concludes the president of the Beaune Côte & Sud urban community.

-A Travoisy, the site will open from Tuesday April 14, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. except Sunday.
– At Nolay, the recycling center will open from Wednesday April 15, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., every day, except Saturdays (from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.) – Please note the recycling center is closed on Tuesdays and Sundays.
-Requests are made on 06 75 27 98 24 or by email at the following address: [email protected] specifying his name, address and details of his deposit.

© Maxppp - PHOTOPQR / LE TELEGRAMME / CLAUDE PRIGENT.© Maxppp - PHOTOPQR / LE TELEGRAMME / CLAUDE PRIGENT.
© Maxppp – PHOTOPQR / LE TELEGRAMME / CLAUDE PRIGENT.

Why is it not mandatory to reopen recycling centers to the public?

In Côte-d’Or, the Beaune Côte & Sud agglomeration community is currently the only one to have taken the decision to reopen recycling centers and apparently the only one in Burgundy.

Everywhere else, the recycling centers remain closed to the public. The town halls ask the citizens to use the bins only for their household waste and to keep their green waste and other waste (electronics, textiles …) at their home until further notice.

“The reopening of recycling centers to the public is not an obligation,” said the prefecture of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté to France 3.

This decision must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to the following criteria:

-evaluate the availability of the recycling center agents
-Evaluate whether the reopening to the public is likely to prejudice the pursuit of other higher priority activities such as household waste collection and selective collection, sorting and treatment of waste, etc.
– ensure that the health security conditions (social distancing measures, barrier gestures) can be respected for the agents of the recycling centers and for the public
-Evaluate the nuisance caused by the wild deposit of bulky items or green waste.

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