In 25 years, sorting, collection and recycling have become part of our daily lives. Citeo is mobilized to find eco-design, recycling and reuse solutions for 100% of our packaging and paper; and thus preserve our resources and the planet. Today, reducing the environmental impact of household packaging and paper means transforming them into new resources. But if 100% of French people have access to sorting, only 51% of them systematically sort all packaging on a daily basis… Citeo therefore acts as a relay for good practices, to raise awareness among the French and to remove doubts about the usefulness of sorting and recycling, and strengthen everyone's ability to act.

Why sort?

Sorting, is it really useful? What is the real route of our waste? Between apprehensions and received ideas, Citeo reminds us why sorting is essential. From an environmental point of view, first of all. In 2019, sorting by the French made it possible to recycle nearly 5 million tonnes of packaging and paper, which avoided the emission of 1.6 million tonnes of C02. That's the equivalent of 780,000 fewer cars on the road for a year. And 23 billion liters of water have been saved, the equivalent of 8,000 Olympic swimming pools. Enough to motivate the 57% of French people who say that they would be more careful to sort properly if we could prove to them the concrete benefits of their gesture for the planet ... 

As for the 68% of French people who agree that paying attention to the environment generates positive effects on the economy, we can only agree with them. Recycling is one of the pillars of the circular and local economy, and is experiencing technological developments capable of boosting its efficiency. Citeo has also invested 30 million euros to support the modernization of sorting centers. 

And don't worry, everything that has been sorted does not go to the same place! Local authorities prepare packaging by material in sorting centers, then resell them to recyclers: packaging is therefore a resource for local authorities, which have no interest in mixing sorted recyclable packaging with household waste.

How to be sure to sort correctly?

Now let's move on to practice: sorting, yes, but how? For consumers lost in the midst of the various sorting instructions depending on the municipality (40% of French people admit not finding their way around), the Sorting Guide application is the solution. All you have to do is enter your municipality, the type of waste, and you will find all the information necessary to apply the right actions.  

It is clear that sorting, particularly in the city, can be complicated. Lack of space, town planning, way of life… The solutions are to be found in particular on the side of the simplification of the gesture and the innovation. This is where the concept of Smart Cities comes in: smart cities that better manage their waste, and therefore their resources, starting by making sorting more accessible and visible. 

Citeo grants specific funding to projects capable of reinventing collection mechanisms by relying on collective intelligence and experimentation. The development of new systems for sorting outside the home will redesign our lives in the city, and the French will be able to sort everywhere.  

Let's adopt the right reflexes

First of all, a few essentials: no need to wash the packaging (a few traces of products will not interfere with the recycling process). They should not be nested or bagged either: in the sorting center, the packaging will be separated by families of materials during different stages; but if the packaging is not clearly visible and separated, the machines will not be able to identify it and it will therefore be discarded instead of being recycled.

Regarding paper, beware of false friends! Some gift wrapping papers are actually made of plastic, and papers whose treatment alters the recycling capacity (wallpaper, photo paper, kitchen rolls, etc.) are intended for the household waste bin. In addition, there is no need to remove the staples or spirals, everything is done directly at the recycling plant.

And let's not forget that in the bathroom too, you can sort. Today, the vast majority of packaging for cosmetic and hygiene products is recyclable. Shower gel and shampoo bottles, makeup remover bottles, misters, perfume bottles, cardboard boxes… are sorted and recycled perfectly.

Finally, to the question: "are all the packaging sorted?" Citeo responds "more and more"! For now, all glass, metal and cardboard packaging are sorted. For plastic material, only plastic bottles and vials are sorted. But since 2011, Citeo and the players in the recycling system have launched the development of recycling all plastic packaging in addition to bottles and flasks. A new sorting instruction is therefore gradually being deployed, for example in Paris, Lyon, Montpellier or Le Havre. Residents must put all packaging without exception in the sorting bin. 

Sorting is an essential gesture, which is becoming increasingly simple.