Special containers, grinders in the kitchen and collection point on water; The municipality wants to separate organic waste better

In Utrecht, fruit and vegetable waste and food scraps are still not sufficiently separated from regular waste. The municipality therefore wants to take a number of measures that will make it easier for residents to dispose of this organic waste separately. For example, special containers will be installed in various neighborhoods in the course of 2025 and kitchens in the Beurskwartier will receive a food grinder. The municipality will experiment with a collection hub on the water in the city center.

In the summer of 2023 the municipality has already expressed its wish to better separate organic waste (vegetables, fruit and food scraps). At the time, it was said that an average of about 30 kilograms of organic waste + T waste is collected separately per resident and that double that amount ends up as residual waste. These figures have not changed in the meantime.

In Utrecht, this waste is currently collected in two ways; In low-rise buildings this is done via a wheelie bin that the residents have at home and in complexes up to four floors, portable waste bins of 40 liters are available.

Container

Now a number of additional ways have been invented. For example, last summer it was said that cocoons, or containers, especially for organic waste, would soon be installed in various places, near high-rise buildings and where there is enough space.

It is now known that approximately 110 of these waste bins will be distributed across the city after the summer of 2025. This is still a test. “The aim is to use this collection method in the future (in suitable areas) in the rest of the city,” the council writes.

Inner city

The municipality currently does not have a suitable system for collecting organic waste in the historic city center. “The reason for this is the limited collection options due to, among other things, axle load limitations, limited indoor space for residents and the expected low response.”

A possible solution to this would be collection at home. Residents then store the waste behind the front door and then make an appointment to have it collected.

“The collection service collects the waste and raw materials at the front door with a small light electric vehicle and takes it to a collection hub on the water. Residents can also bring their waste and raw materials to the collection hub themselves.”

Grinder

This problem can be taken into account in a district that is yet to be built. For example, in the Beurskwartier a trial is being conducted with food grinders that are built into kitchens.

“Users can throw in their organic waste remains here. The remains are ground and transported with water via a pipe system intended for this purpose to a separation installation.”