Garbage in Maastricht

When we first arrived in Maastricht, one of the more confusing parts of daily life was - where does our garbage go? In the US, you typically bring your garbage cans out to the curb on garbage day, but our new apartment had no garbage cans, nor did I see any in town.

One of the first mistakes I made was buying store-brand garbage bags to throw all our trash in. This turned out to be a total waste because...

In Maastricht, you pay for garbage service by buying special bags.

In American cities, you typically pay a flat fee (either via a private company, your landlord, or your taxes) for regular curbside trash pick-up. In Maastricht, the system is more “pay per bag” (or rather, pay by buying the official municipal bags) for residual waste (the stuff that cannot be recycled). So instead of a fixed monthly trash fee, you pay when you dispose of non-recyclables.
In effect: the less non-recyclable waste you send out, the less you’ll spend.

You can buy these at your local grocery store. They're typically by the cash registers and you ask for them. A 20-pack of 25-litre bags is about €13.60. A 10-pack of 50-litre bag pack is about €11.70.

2. The main waste streams in Maastricht

Here are the key categories, what belongs where, and how they’re handled in Maastricht:

a) Residual waste (Restafval)

• This is your “everything else” bin: non-recyclable material, dirty packaging, sanitary items, small things you can’t sort elsewhere.
• In Maastricht you must use the official red & white municipal residual waste bags (sometimes called “red/white Maastricht residual bags”). The crew will not collect other bags. These are rat-resistent.
• Collection frequency: generally every two weeks, depending on district.
• You place the bag outside (curbside) from the evening before collection (usually from ~19:00) or before ~06:00 on collection day.
• Because the bags cost you directly, there is a strong financial incentive to recycle carefully and minimise residual waste.

b) Paper & cardboard (Papier & Karton)

• Collected free of charge.
• Door-to-door collection happens once a month via volunteers. You can also bring to a sorting station, but be aware everything has to go through a slot.
• Ensure that paper/cardboard is clean, dry, broken down so it fits through the container opening. If it’s soiled (like used pizza boxes with grease) it must go into residual waste.

c) Plastic, metal packaging & drink cartons (PMD)

• These should be separated and taken to your local recycling point or collected curbside. On some blocks, instead of leaving them in front of homes, you'll see them hung on a pole at the end of the block.
• Clean packaging: food residues must be rinsed.
• Drink containers like aluminum cans or plastic bottles are sometimes also accepted at recycling machines in grocery stores, which pay a few cents for the ones they accept. Over time, this can add up to a nice chunk off a grocery run.

d) Glass

• Drop off food and drink glass bottles/jars at the recycling stations (there are separate bins for clear/green/brown glass in many places).

e) Organic / garden waste, bulky waste, textiles, electronics, nappies/incontinence products

• Vegetable/fruit/garden waste may have its own bin (or you may have to bring it to sorting station) depending on your area.
• Bulky items (“grofvuil”): old furniture, large items — usually disposed of via a special collection or recycling centre.
• Textiles: clean clothes/shoes can go in textile-bins.
• Diapers & incontinence products: In Maastricht there are special containers for these (free to use at sorting stations) using your milieupas, but you must sign up for access. The bags are also free.

Tips

• Download the MilieuApp (both Dutch & English) — it gives: your neighborhood waste calendar, map of recycling stations, and a quick “search” for what goes where. You can also set notifications for the night before a collection day.
• Be diligent about sorting recyclables. If recyclable items show up in your residual waste bags, the municipality may inspect and issue fines.
• Flatten your cardboard boxes and keep paper clean & dry. If it’s greasy or wet it goes in residual waste.
• If you live in the city centre or an apartment, you may have underground communal containers rather than curb-side bags.
• Large items (broken furniture, large appliances) require “grofvuil” disposal or transport to recycling centre — don’t just leave them beside the bins.
• If you’re unsure whether something belongs in residual waste or a recycling stream: check the MilieuApp, or treat it as residual if it’s dirty/contaminated, or a mixed-material packaging that cannot be separated.

Why this system makes sense (and why it may feel odd at first)

• The “bag-purchase” approach makes your waste generation more visible and tangible: you’ll feel directly the cost of non-recyclables, which helps reduce waste.
• It drives a circular economy: the less residual waste, the more you’ve reused/sorted materials for recycling.
• From a U.S. perspective: you may be used to “throw everything in one bin and pay a flat bill”. Here the cost is more variable, and there’s a stronger incentive to separate.
• Because of that, things like time of collection, proper bag usage, and correct sorting become more important than simply "putting the bin out".

Quick FAQ for American newcomers

• Q: Can I just use a regular plastic trash bag?
  A: No — residual waste must go in the red & white official bags in Maastricht; otherwise the collector may skip it.
• Q: What about my old pizza box, paper towel, etc?
  A: If the cardboard/paper is very greasy/soiled, you must put it in residual waste. Clean paper/cardboard goes in the recycling stream.
• Q: I live in an apartment with no garden. How do I handle waste?
  A: Check if your building has communal bins (underground or shared). Use the MilieuApp or ask your landlord to confirm.
• Q: If I forget the collection day, will they skip me?
  A: Yes, if you leave the bag out too late or in the wrong bags it may not be collected.
• Q: Does buying weekly bags mean I can generate as much trash as I like if I pay for it?
  A: Technically yes, but expensive. It pays (literally) to reduce residual waste by recycling.
• Q: Are there fines?
  A: Yes — improper disposal (wrong bag, recyclable materials in residual bag, leaving it out too early) can lead to fines.