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What are the new rules on recycling in Paris?

The Local France
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What are the new rules on recycling in Paris?
New technology at sorting centres mean more things can be recycled. Photo: AFP

The city of Paris has announced that more things can now be recycled in kerbside rubbish collections - including Nespresso capsules.

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The things that can be put in the bin with the yellow lid - dedicated to recyclable items - has gradually expanded and since the beginning of July has included the notoriously hard to recycle Nespresso capsule.

"Since the beginning of the year, Paris has simplified its sorting instructions: you can now throw all packaging (plastic, cardboard, metal, paper) into the yellow bin. More simplicity for better sorting," said Paul Simondon, the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of cleanliness and waste management, told French newspaper CNews.

Graphic: Le Paris du Tri

The things that can now be put in the yellow bin are:

Paper and cardboard
 
All papers, cardboard packaging (both clean and soiled) and cardboard pieces. Packaging should be emptied, but does not need to be washed. All newspapers and magazines can be recycled but toilet paper, tissues, paper towels and wipes cannot.
 
Plastic
All emptied plastic bottles and containers, with or without the cap. 
 
Metal
Cans, jar lids, bottle caps and other metals. Like paper, they must be emptied, but do not need to be washed.
 
Food packaging
New from this year, it is now possible to throw food packaging in the yellow bins. Food packaging that has been in direct contact with food, such as salad boxes and frozen food packaging, can be recycled, as well as egg boxes, plastic yoghurts or even empty toothpaste tubes.
 
Nespresso capsules
The increasingly popular coffee machine capsules are made of aluminium, which is recyclable, but the small size of the capsules had posed a problem as sorting centres were not able to capture packaging of less than 6 cm.
 
A new recycling process had to be deployed and the sorting centres equipped with new technology. Since the beginning of July that has been in operation, so Nespresso capsules can now be recycled in the yellow bin.

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