Waste disposal
Each municipality has its own system for afval (waste). Refer to the municipality’s website for the most up to date information about afval inzamelen (waste collections), recyclen (recycling) and milieuparken (waste and recycling centres).
Household waste
Household waste (huishoudelijk afval) is part of domestic daily life and doesn’t involve chemicals or electricity.
Household waste must be separated into groente- fruit- tuinafval (vegetable, fruit and garden waste), recycling, or restafval (residual waste):
- Vegetable, fruit and garden waste is collected in special green bins (depending on the size of the residence) and has a separate collection schedule.
- Recycling must be separated into glass, plastic, metal and paper and taken to local recycling bins.
- Only residual waste that is placed in municipal afvalzakken (bin bags) is collected by the municipality, these bags can be purchased from local supermarkets.
Check out the waste application 'Milieu App' (Environment App).
Bulky waste
Bulky waste (grofvuil) is waste that doesn’t fit a standard bin bag, such as debris, plaster boards and broken furniture.
- Bulky and chemical waste can be brought to waste and recycling centres, where it has to be divided into clearly defined waste categories.
- For those not able to bring bulky waste to the waste and recycling centres, an appointment can be made with the municipal waste collection services where the bulky waste can be placed in front of the residence on the agreed date.
Nappies and incontinence products
This varies per municipality. Maastricht recycles nappies and incontinence products. You can dispose of both for free at a sorting station using your milieupas (waste disposal pass).
Good to know
There are special bins at supermarkets and shops that sell electrical equipment for the collection of other items such as batteries, electronic equipment, ink toner cartridges, and even collection points for used frying fat.
Gemeente Maastricht has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, (follow #missionzeromaastricht on social media) and is therefore proposing changes to waste disposal systems, so there may be different systems of recycling and processing waste in the near future.
Waste and environment at Gemeente Maastricht