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Do the French produce a lot of waste? If the figures are to be believed, the answer is yes. Indeed, each French person produces on average 5.1 tonnes of waste per year. This includes household, industrial and municipal waste. So, a tax aims to reduce this staggering number.
It will see the light of day in certain French regions in January 2025. This tax is an incentive fee. This will involve a system of billing for household waste based on its quantity.
This measure aims to encourage the reduction of waste volumes and to make citizens more responsible. So, it applies the principle of “ polluter pays« . The Pays de Fayence, in the Var, will be one of the first areas to experiment with this approach before its generalization (in 2026, according to the main scenario).
What is this new tax?
The incentive fee is a taxation model which replaces the household waste removal tax (TEOM). The calculation of the latter, traditionally, is done based on the surface area of the accommodation.
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From now on, it is based on the quantity of waste produced by each household, taking into account sorting efforts. Unlike the old tax, the incentive fee is adjusted according to the volume of garbage bins and the number of annual collections.
Thus, this tax favors households who invest in sorting and reducing waste. These are reflexes that we all must have. But as many French people refuse to do so, this tax comes into play. By attacking the wallet, she hopes to encourage eco-responsible behavior.
Sort to pay less
The incentive fee has two components: a fixed part and a variable part. The fixed part covers sorting services, access to recycling centers and the collection of bulky items. The variable part, for its part, depends on the size of the bins (80L, 120L or 240L) and the number of lifts per year.
This system allows households to choose a package based on their waste production, while benefiting from financial incentives if they adopt good sorting practices and limit the use of collection services.
The Pays de Fayence is one of the first regions to test this system for the tax. In 2025, a year of transition with “blank” billing will allow residents to adapt without financial impact immediate.
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From 2026, the TEOM will disappear. Thus, only the waste actually produced will be invoiced. Initiatives for promote composting and better waste management will accompany this transition.
Debates around the system
Although reducing waste is a common goal, the implementation of the incentive fee attracts criticism in areas where it is already in force. In Dordogne, for example,f non-recyclable waste has decreased by 43%, some households have seen their bills increase.
In Blain, in Loire-Atlantique, residents denounce the reduction in the number of collections, coupled with an increase in costs. In Hérault, the price of additional bags is also considered too high by many users. The implementation of this tax therefore does not only make people happy.
But this tax seems essential. By encouraging the French to sort waste, she hopes to instill good reflexes. The incentive fee can thus play a crucial role in improving sorting practices.. According to Ademe, municipalities that test this tax model see on average a 30% reduction in waste produced.
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