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30,000 tons of litter are collected each year from the streets of Paris

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undefined undefined 21 novembre 2024 undefined 19h51

The Editor

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It's the absolutely crazy new figure revealed by the agents of the City of Paris. Every day, more than 1,000 abandoned waste items are collected, which adds up to over 30,000 tons a year. That's an astronomical amount, but it's been decreasing in recent years.

It's not uncommon (or even far too frequent) to come across a street in the capital overflowing with rubble, old furniture, or even garbage bags. However, as surprising as it may seem, there are many fewer than there were a few years ago. So how do we explain this relative decrease?


Thousands of items

According to the Urgence propreté service, which manages waste collection in the capital, 2.8 million items of all kinds are collected each year. And while a good portion of them are reported through the bulky waste service, a smaller, yet significant portion consists of “illegal” waste left by individuals or professionals, such as artisans handling renovations.

We count a whopping 1300 per day, which adds up to over 500,000 per year, resulting in a delightful little collection of more than 30,000 tons. The 9th and 10th arrondissements alone account for, for instance, three full bins a day, collected daily by the morning or evening cleaning teams, who carry out an average of about forty pickups each day. Yet, this amount represents 18% less than in 2023.


An Increasing Commitment

Even though we’re still far from a perfect city with no stray leaves on the ground, the capital is seeing a slight improvement, thanks to various factors. First, there’s been a rise in reports which, contrary to what one might think,

one might think, does not imply a deterioration of the situation, but rather a awareness on the part of Parisians, who now prefer to alert the cleaning services rather than adding their waste to the pile.

We can also talk about the implementation of increasingly strict fines from city agents, who are penalizing all unreported waste, ranging from a cigarette butt to a huge Breton wardrobe. The number of cleanliness emergency agents has also doubled, so the teams can respond faster. Finally, fees set by artisans help to dispose of waste from construction work more quickly. Come on, let's keep up this momentum, friends!