The consumer watchdog UFC-Que Choisir has just published a new report that says that the recycling rates in France are disastrous, with the country under performing by a large margin compared to its European neighbours.
The new study discovered that just a quarter of waste material in France becomes recycled – not even half the EU average – with “deep failings” in the way the system works.
France is still quite a distance from hitting its goal of 50% recycled waste material by 2020 and 70% by 2030.
UFC-Que Choisir président Alain Bazot mentioned there was too little public understanding, adding: “This situation cannot be permitted to continue. There’s an financial and ecological urgency.”
The consumer body furthermore says that organisations set up to take care of and recycle large home waste items such as for example electrical goods are at the subject to lax requirements and so are not really sufficiently regulated or checked.
France’s national association for waste management says the cost to local authorities of collecting rubbish amounts to €120 per person per year.
