The scheme builds on the blue bag system introduced across all communes except for Schifflange (which has its own system) by Valorlux. The bags, in which drinks cans, tins, cartons and plastic bottles can be placed for recycling, are collected every two weeks and sorted before being sent on to be reused in manufacturing.

A green bag system, being trialled in 20 communes, enables households to throw away bags and plastic films. Responding to a parliamentary question, environment minister Carole Dieschbourg stated that the scheme will be extended as soon as the sorting centre in Bech Kleinmacher is extended. “Plans are underway to replace the sorting centre with a more effective one,” the minister wrote.

The question, which was submitted by MPs Max Hahn and Claude Lamberty, asked why items such as yoghurt pots and blister packaging were not permitted in the scheme. Dieschbourg explained the sorting plant was not equipped to separate such items. However, they can be recycled if households manually take them to the Rebox containers found on the car parks of 15 supermarkets in Luxembourg.