Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Natur&ëmwelt Discusses Waste Management & Good Habits

In the latest in a series of articles about current conservation issues, experts at natur&ëmwelt, a leading nature conservation NGO in Luxembourg, spoke to Chronicle.lu about how to improve habits surrounding waste.

Natur&ëmwelt volunteer Claire Schroeder helped collect the relevant information from the NGO for this article.

According to natur&ëmwelt, the waste we produce and how we manage it as a society is still a huge environmental issue. While European governments draw up actionable plans and long term goals, individual impact starts with our habits and what goes on in our homes and our communities daily.

Chronicle.lu: We all know we should be recycling, but what does "recycling" actually mean? Does it make that much of a difference?

Natur&ëmwelt: Simply put, recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials or objects. While it is true that living car-free or reducing your consumption of red meat might have a greater impact on the climate crisis, recycling is a small, approachable act that can not be underestimated. Luxembourg residents generate roughly 2 kg of waste per day, ranking third in Europe in the waste production category (2022). If it's any consolation, however, while we're good at producing waste, we're also good at recycling it. Luxembourg's goal is to reach 55% recycling rate by this year, 2025 (for context, we were at 52.8% in 2020), and eliminate municipal landfill waste by 2030.

While we'll mostly be addressing household waste here, do not be fooled, this is just the beginning. Whether it be construction and demolition waste, industrial production waste, healthcare waste or electrical waste (just to name a few sectors), the impact these materials and industries have on the planet on a grand scale, is hard to fathom. Bring on topics such as disassembly, circular economy, reusability, repair, modularity, product longevity…! But that's for another day and another article.

Chronicle.lu: How can one recycle in Luxembourg?

Natur&ëmwelt: We won't get into the colour specifics here, as which colour bin means what depends on the commune [municipality] you live in (don't ask us why…), but generally speaking you will most likely be able to get your hands on [the following]. A bin that is dedicated to paper and cardboard. This one is pretty straightforward; besides kitchen roll, tissues and the likes, most paper is welcome here. Flatten your boxes (if they're especially big, you might want to take them to the recycling centre) and remove any binders or staples. Receipts are all good too! Luxembourg's residents recycle about 150 kg of paper a year and many of our paper products are already recycled, so keep it up!

Next up, you'll most likely have access to a glass bin. Easy peasy; just glass! Bottles, food containers, all rinsed and no lids (they're for the blue bag, sharing is caring my friends). Some glass packaging is consigned, which is even better, so make sure to bring those back to where they came from! Speaking of the blue bag, also known as the Valorlux bag to the less initiated; these are for PMC packaging and are usually freely available from your commune. This one tends to trip people up, so here's a handy-dandy list to keep at hand.

As for organic waste, it can be a bit more tricky; again, a lot of this will depend on your commune. In most cases you will have a bin for organic waste such as food scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells, old bread or non-woody garden waste such as flowers or grass cuttings. Avoid ash, cigarette butts, fats and oils and sanitary products. In parallel, you could also have access to a garden waste bin. Extra big items can be taken to one of the thirteen green waste sights in the country.

Beyond these household options, we're lucky to have many recycling centres in the country where you can dispose of more speciality or hazardous materials (sharp items, batteries, medicines, chemicals, etc.). Everything else - and the idea is that there shouldn't be much else - goes in the household waste bin. Avoid this as much as possible!

Chronicle.lu: Is there anything individuals can do to reduce waste in the first place? What about compost?

Natur&ëmwelt: Compost gets a big YES from us! In order to get your hands properly dirty, it is of course ideal if you have an outdoor space of your own. If so, you can dedicate a section of it to collecting food waste and turning it into fertiliser to help your plants thrive. Recently, a slew of options have come out enabling those limited to balconies or even to their indoor space to compost too. Throughout the country there are also composting centres (such as Minett Kompost) whose mission it is to recycle organic waste.

While we've had a good rattle on recycling, it is worth mentioning that the most beneficial thing you can do for our planet and the climate crisis is indeed to avoid waste in the first place. This can mean buying in bulk to reduce packaging, considering the types of packaging you're purchasing before you do (is it recyclable?), making sure to store your food properly and use as much as possible. And this goes beyond short-term consumables. Consider repairing your clothes before buying new, look into second hand furniture when needed, sometimes less really is more.

Chronicle.lu: Is there anything else one can do to help?

Natur&ëmwelt: Of course, and you can have fun while doing it! In Luxembourg, we're lucky enough to have a community initiative called the "Grouss Botz" (Big Clean). This campaign originated in the European year of nature conservation in 1970 as part of the first "camp nature" in Mullerthal. Then, 200 young participants cleaned up the surrounding forests along the popular hiking trails of the Mullerthal region with the help of various administrations, conservation organisations and forestry students from the army. From this action stemmed the initiative to form natur&ëmwelt's umbrella organisation - NATURA asbl. To this day, many municipalities organise such campaigns in the spring to spread awareness of the very present waste and litter issues we still face and the disrespect shown to the environment. It is about collecting the waste thrown into nature and thereby effecting a sustainable change in behaviour for everyone. The collective effort also makes this an extremely social and family-friendly activity - the perfect way to get involved!