Waste Disposal at Home
Certain categories of waste can be disposed of at your home, while others need to be taken to external disposal sites. For at home disposal you may have waste bins ('klikos' in Dutch), or you may have to use underground waste containers that need a key or a waste pass to be opened.
Below are the common categories of waste, along with a short description of their disposal methods. The Dar website is also linked as it provides a more in-depth explanation. The Dar website is mainly in Dutch but translates well via Google translate.
Find out when your waste is collected from the waste calendar for your area.
It is possible to receive a hefty fine if you do not dispose of your waste correctly.
Waste containers
Some households will need to order new waste containers after you have registered your move with the municipality. This can be done by contacting Dar and requesting a new container.
Categories of waste
- General Waste (restafval): 'General waste' is the waste that is left over after you disposed of all the other types of waste listed below. If you use underground containers, you can use any waste bag. If you use waste bins, you have to buy special Dar green or red wastebags (available at most supermarkets in Nijmegen). More info about the waste bins and bags can be found here.
- Plastic+: Plastic+ waste consists of plastic, tins/cans, and plastic-coated cartons for drinks such as milk or fruit juice. You collect your plastic+ waste in special, orange binliners that can be bought from most supermarkets. Usually the plastic+ waste is collected with your general waste.
- 'Green/Vegetable, Fruit and Garden' (GTF-afval, groente, tuin, en fruit-afval): 'Green waste' consists of vegetable leftovers, eggshells, coffee, tea, meat, fish, plants etc. Most homes will have a special green bin for their green waste.
- Paper waste (oud papier): Your paper waste can consist of paper, cardboard, egg cartons, toilet rolls etc. Before disposing of your paper, please remove plastic covers, metal rings and such. You can get a blue bin for your paper waste, or leave it out in a cardboard box on collection day. Paper waste is usually collected once a month.
- Glass (glas-afval): For empty glass bottles and jars. Some apartment complexes may have underground containers to dispose of glass in. Otherwise, you have to take your glass waste to a 'glas-bak', a special container for glass disposal. These are usually found outside supermarkets. The glass does not have to be perfectly clean, you can even keep the lids on. However, it is important to separate the colours white (wit), green (groen) and brown (bruin).
- Textiles and Fabric (textiel-afval): Old clothes, cloths, shoes, cuddly toys. Keep the textile waste dry and clean until you dispose of it. You can dispose of your textiles at special containers called 'textiel-bak' in Dutch. They are usually found next to the glass containers outside supermarkets. Please tie shoes together and put the clothes in a closed plastic bag.
- Other: There are other kinds of less common waste such as electrical devices or bulky waste among others. You should look through the list of other waste on the Dar website to make sure you are disposing of waste correctly.
Finding special waste disposal containers
For Nijmegen, Dar has a helpful map where you can find disposal containers for glass and textiles.
The milieustraat or 'environmental street' is a recycling center. These can also be found on the map above. You can dispose of different kinds of waste at the milieustraat. Some waste is free to dispose but sometimes there is a cost for disposal. You can find out more about waste sorting at the milieustraten here.
