Waste collection and recycling: your questions
What budget is needed to equip a recycling system? Should it be French or imported?
The regulations on waste sorting, further strengthened by the Agec Law, have opened up an increasingly important market for small businesses (SMEs, SMIs), restaurants, local authorities, healthcare facilities... This is commendable but has posed and continues to pose a real budgetary concern .
Waste collection and sorting: an additional economic line item.
This raises the question in a context of fierce competition between manufacturers in Eastern Europe and Asia, who are directly challenging established manufacturers like Rossignol. First, it's essential to clearly distinguish between " Product manufactured in France, " " Product assembled in France, " and " Product distributed by a French company ."
Thus, Rossignol manufactures part of its metal range, particularly its sorting equipment, in Montsur, France, but more than half of its catalog, especially plastic and electrical components, is based on imported products . The same is true for JVD . Brands like PROBBAX or Medial in Italy operate similarly, with their product offerings almost entirely based on imports.
Regarding Rubbermaid, the reasoning is the same, with ultimately few products actually manufactured from A to Z in the United States.
It is for these reasons that Voussert now offers products manufactured in Europe and Asia directly from the factory and in complete transparency , and clearly identifies products from these brands by specifying the actual origin of the latter.
What are the obligations for collecting bio-waste under the AGEC Law?
The Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy law (AGEC law) has imposed source separation of biowaste on all waste producers since January 1, 2024, without a minimum volume threshold: restaurants, canteens, supermarkets, businesses and administrations are now concerned.
This obligation implies the setting up of containers dedicated to bio-waste identified by a brown lid or specific marking, separate from other collection streams.
In parallel, the gradual extension of sorting instructions to flexible plastic packaging reinforces the requirements for selective sorting equipment in professional premises.
Local authorities subject to public procurement are now integrating environmental and traceability criteria into their calls for tenders for the supply of collection equipment.
Waste collection in the professional world
How to choose your professional waste bin: capacity, material and HACCP standards
Your decision to purchase a professional waste bin should take into account 3 elements:
-> The capacity in litres (from 30 L for offices to 660 L / 770 L for City outdoor collection wheeled containers).
For individual offices, small volume sorting baskets with 2 or 3 compartments will be used.
For open-plan offices and large public spaces , we recommend columns with capacities between 60 and 110 liters. The Slim Jim Rubbermaid or Rossignol Cubatri/Hexatri ranges are suitable.
For outdoor areas, depending on the traffic, it will be essential to consider the potential daily volume of waste to avoid finding waste on the ground.
-> The material (polypropylene for food environments, stainless steel for HACCP professional kitchens, high-density polyethylene for outdoor spaces exposed to the elements)
-> The opening mechanism ( pedal-operated for HACCP areas to avoid any hand contact). In the kitchen, catering services outside the home are subject to the HACCP regulatory plan. In this case, a touchless pedal-operated bin with a tight-fitting lid is required to prevent cross-contamination between waste and food.
Professional rubbish bags: what thickness, sorting colour code and regulatory compliance?
The market for garbage bags, ranging from consumer products to professional lines, is saturated . Navigating the jungle of qualities and offers can be complicated. Reading our guide on plastic bag manufacturing will provide you with some technical information.
The professional garbage bag is the first consumable in the collection chain, although reducing its use remains a priority to limit the use of plastic.
Its thickness (expressed in microns), its capacity and its raw material ( type of PE: high density or low density ) are the three points that buyers check first.
For heavy or sharp waste in industrial or food service settings, a reinforced bag of at least 35 to 50 microns made of low-density polyethylene is the most commonly used . The color code for recycling bags is governed by the NF EN 13592 standard : black for residual household waste, yellow for dry recyclables (packaging, paper, cardboard), green for glass, brown for biowaste , and red for infectious medical waste (DASRI). Healthcare facilities and medical professionals are subject to specific regulations concerning infectious medical waste (decree of September 7, 1999), which mandate the use of approved bags and a separate collection system managed by a certified service provider.