Vegetable, fruit, garden, and food waste (organic waste) includes things like peels and bones (food scraps), pruning waste, and dead flowers. Much of our waste is organic waste, which is highly recyclable.
You can offer organic waste in an organic waste container and garden waste at one of the recycling centers.
View your personal waste calendar.
What belongs where?
For your convenience, we have listed the separation rules below, categorized by: kitchen waste, fine garden waste, animals, and waste separation aids.
Yes, with the organic waste
Kitchen waste
- vegetable, fruit and cutting waste and peels
- tea bags and coffee pads
- potatoes, potato peels, bread, rice, dough, pasta
- food scraps, cooked or uncooked, leftovers
- dairy products such as cheese
- egg, fish and meat remains, also bones and fish bones
- gravy and cooking fat (solidified)
- nut shells, (mussel) shells and egg shells
- loose tea and coffee grounds (a paper filter may also be added)
- cookies, candy, chocolate, nuts, seeds, snacks
Fine garden waste
- flowers and plants
- small/fine pruning waste, foliage, mown grass and leaves
- garden and potting soil (small quantities)
- branches, stumps, trunks
Dieren
- litter (hay, straw, sawdust) used for small rodents (such as guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters) with their droppings
- (leftover) animal feed
Tools for waste separation
- special compostable organic waste collection bags
- unbleached and unprinted kitchen paper used to wipe up organic waste (sauce, grease, food scraps)
Not in the organic waste
Kitchen waste
- packaging of any material
- plastic bags or sacks
- beverage packaging of dairy and fruit juices
- cheese crust
- coffee cups
- frying fat and oil
- chewing gum
Garden waste
- flower and plant pots, earthenware
- stone, pebbles, gravel, sand, earth, soil, clay
- fertilizer, pesticides, root cloth, hydro grains
- beams, timber, metal
Dieren
- feces and manure from large animals, such as dogs, cats, horses and cows
- cat litter and birdcage sand
- hair, fluff
- dead animals or offal
Tools for waste separation
- plastic bags
- empty collection bags
- textile bags
- storage containers
- metals, such as iron, tin, aluminum
- glass
- large pieces or quantities of paper, cardboard
- products and packaging made of plastic, including bioplastic and compostable plastic
- (disposable) products and packaging made of natural materials, such as plant pots, containers, plates, cutlery and straws made of bamboo, coconut, palm leaf, corn, (sugar) cane or straw
- textile
- Cork
- ash and coal from smoking materials, fireplaces, stoves and barbecues
- tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, butts, filters
- diapers, tampons, sanitary towels, incontinence products
- wound dressing, plasters, medicines
- vacuum cleaner bags and their contents
- (fruit) stickers
- coffee cups of any material
To the recycling center
- brick
- wood
- potting soil, garden soil, sand and earth
- pruning wood larger than 50 cm
- branches longer than 50 cm
Bioplastics should not be disposed of with organic waste
Plastic does not belong in the organic waste bin. It contaminates the compost and must therefore be removed before composting. Bags made of bioplastic also do not belong in the organic waste bin because they take too long to decompose and compost. Bioplastic is plastic made from plant waste instead of petroleum or gas. Only special, compostable organic waste bags with the Seedling logo or OK Compost logo are allowed in the organic waste bin, as they are a useful tool for separating organic waste. These are available at various shops and supermarkets.
Want to know more? Then go to the Milieu Centraal website.
Tips for a fresh organic waste container
This will prevent your organic waste container from smelling or from maggots (fly larvae) growing in it.
- Place the container in a cool place out of the sun.
- Do not throw wet waste into the container.
- Let mown grass dry for a day and let moist food scraps drain first.
- Wrap spoiling and smelly food scraps such as meat and fish in newspaper.
- Clean the container regularly with water and, if necessary, green soap. Do not use bleach, as this is harmful to the environment.
- Place an old newspaper or a layer of dry organic waste at the bottom. You can also use special compostable or paper organic waste bags. These are available at the supermarket. This makes emptying the container easier.
- Make sure your organic waste container is empty (and clean) when you go on vacation. This is also a good opportunity to air it out.
Tips for your organic waste container when it freezes
During frosty weather, organic waste can freeze solid in your container. This makes it impossible to empty. We're happy to give you tips to help prevent this.
- Place your container in the shelter of your home.
- During frost periods, place your container in a frost-free place, such as a shed or garage.
- Place newspaper at the bottom of the container or use a special compostable paper organic waste bag. You can buy these at the supermarket. This makes emptying the container easier.
- Don't use salt to prevent freezing. Salt contaminates organic waste.
Reuse: compost and green gas
If you separate organic waste from residual waste, it will be recycled into compost and biogas (green gas). Compost improves soil in gardens or on the land. Green gas is an alternative to natural gas. Organic waste that is mixed with residual waste is incinerated with the rest of the waste and not recycled; this organic waste is lost forever.