The gray trash can, the one that we mechanically take out on collection evening without asking too many questions about what it really contains. And yet, its content tells a much more nuanced story than one imagines, between real progress and still considerable room for improvement.
According to the 2025 edition of the MODECOM® study, published on December 19, 2025 by ADEME, the Ecological Transition Agency, each French person produced on average 223.5 kg of residual household waste in 2023, compared to 252.7 kg in 2017. A notable drop, which is also part of a much broader underlying trend: these quantities fell by 172 kg per capita since 1993, a decrease of almost a third since 2007 alone. A tangible sign that the sorting efforts of the French, accumulated over several decades, produce concrete and measurable results.
But this real progress hides an observation which is just as true: according to the same study, almost 7 out of 10 waste found in the "gray" bin, that of unsorted household waste, could in reality have been sorted or recycled in another way. This figure, described as stable by ADEME over successive editions of the survey, reveals that the room for progress remains considerable despite the progress already made. Roland Marion, Director of Circular Economy at ADEME, summarizes the situation as follows: the results show progress, but also major potential for sustainably reducing waste production and further improving sorting at source.

What this task actually involves

Taking out and bringing in the trash involves carrying the different bins (household waste, selective sorting) to the collection point the evening before collection, then recovering them once emptied. Allow around 5 minutes for this task, a pace which directly depends on the collection schedule specific to each municipality.

Tips and tricks for a truly optimized gesture

Systematically checking the contents of the gray bin before taking it out, by asking yourself whether certain elements would rather have a place in the sorting bin, makes it possible to concretely reduce its share in the 70% of misdirected waste identified by ADEME. A simple reflex of checking, repeated on each outing, makes a significant cumulative difference over the year.
Composting bio-waste, for which sorting at source has become widespread since 2024 according to the study itself, significantly reduces the volume of gray trash: bio-waste represents a significant part of what could be recovered otherwise, in particular via individual or collective composting.
Strictly respecting your municipality's collection schedule, rather than taking out the trash early or late, avoids inconveniences (odors, difficult access for collection agents) while ensuring that each type of waste is actually collected at the right time by the right channel.

With a drop of almost a third in residual household waste since 2007 according to ADEME, the sorting efforts of the French are bearing fruit. But with still 7 out of 10 waste misdirected in the gray bin, each bin removal remains a concrete opportunity to check, one last time, if everything it contains really has its place there.