Housing maintenance, collect, sort and recycle

Housing maintenance in Luxembourg

Obligations of owners and tenants

The maintenance of the dwelling is an obligation, whether you are an owner or a tenant. While the tenant is responsible for minor maintenance repairs related to daily life, the landlord must provide a dwelling in good condition. All major repairs are the responsibility of the owner.

In addition to paying the rent on time, the tenant is responsible for the daily maintenance of the apartment. He must ensure that the locks work properly, change burnt-out light bulbs, and have the boiler serviced annually by an authorized service provider.
At the end of the lease, the tenant must also return a clean dwelling, out of normal use. This is particularly the case for paints, for which a normal “wear and tear” is tolerated. On the other hand, the holes, or other degradations will have to be repaired. Beware of unauthorized decoration work by the owner. The latter may require that the accommodation be returned in a condition strictly identical to that of the initial inventory of fixtures. See our instructions for renting in Luxembourg.

In case of disagreement, the landlord can withhold the security deposit requested at the beginning of the lease. Numerous disputes are brought before the courts each year.

Landlords must provide housing that is sanitary, in good working order, and does not endanger the safety or health of the occupants. Any work to bring the system up to standard, faulty parts or damage caused by an incident are the responsibility of the customer. Structural work, involving significant expenses, is normally the responsibility of the owner. However, agreements can be negotiated, for example, in exchange for a rent discount.

Hiring of cleaning staff

To maintain your home, you can hire cleaning staff directly. The labor laws in Luxembourg must be respected and a contract must be concluded. It is also possible to call upon companies specialized in cleaning and maintenance, or to proceed with companies specialized in personal services.

Clearance of sidewalks

In the event of frost or snow, occupants of a building or house are required to clear clogged or frozen sidewalks in front of said building. Even if the sidewalks belong to the municipal administration, the clearing of a 1 m wide strip is the duty of the residents. They are also required to spread a material to prevent freezing and therefore slipping.

Coarse anti-freeze salt is easily available in supermarkets or gas stations in winter. In case of a fall in front of your home, your responsibility will be invoked. You will then have to prove that you have taken the necessary steps to clean the sidewalks and avoid falls. In the event of an accident, your liability insurance may be put into play. Remember to be well insured!

Garbage collection and color of garbage cans

You live in Luxembourg and like everyone else you have household waste to dispose of and garbage cans to empty. Do you want to store in your garage or cellar? You have useless objects to recycle? In Luxembourg, waste collection and recycling are managed by the municipalities.

At a time when we are more and more vigilant to preserve our planet, here is a little reminder to sort your waste correctly. Several different colored garbage cans are at your disposal. How to find your way around?

Waste collection – Hygiene service

When you register as a resident , your municipality offers you several garbage cans and other specific containers. These will be collected periodically by a specialized companyon a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly schedule.

Your household waste, green waste, glass bottles, paper and newspapers will also be collected regularly for a fee from your municipality. The cost of the fee is either fixed or calculated according to the number of times you have used this service by putting your garbage cans out on the street. A schedule of abductions will be communicated to you regularly by your municipality.

For the City of Luxembourg, you can consult the garbage collection tours by street on this link.

Grey garbage can: household waste

The grey garbage can is intended to collect all your residual non-recyclable household waste. Your waste will be collected regularly by your municipality according to the schedule. They will then be incinerated.

Used tissues and sopalins are to be disposed of in this grey garbage can. This is also the case for cooking paper and plastic packaging refused in the blue bag.
Don’t put metal or hazardous materials in your grey garbage can. These are collected at the waste disposal center. This is also the case for car batteries, printer toner, paint cans, etc. Ask your local council for more information.
Batteries, used light bulbs, … are collected in the recycling areas of shopping malls.

Blue garbage can and blue bags: paper, plastic, recyclable waste and packaging

The blue garbage can is for your paper and cardboard waste. Also collected every week, they will be recycled as long as the materials are clean! Do not throw away pizza boxes, baking paper, receipts, dirty, waxed or laminated paper.

You can throw away old newspapers or magazines, flyers, school notebooks, … Even if you can throw away books, think about exchange places like book closets, or free exchange spaces in recycling centers.

Blue PMC (Valorlux) bags are intended for recyclable packaging waste. You can find them free of charge from your communal administration. For the City of Luxembourg, they are made available free of charge to residents at the Bierger-Center, the City Hall, the “Badanstalt”, the Municipal Swimming Pool of Bonnevoie and the recycling center and hygiene service for the City of Luxembourg.

The blue bags are intended to receive the packaging known as PMC, i.e. plastic bottles and flasks, metal packaging such as cans and beverage cartons.

You can now add plastic films and bags, plastic pots, trays and cups.
Be careful not to throw away black or multi-layered plastics such as coffee packets, chips or pet food. Styropor or polystyrene is also prohibited. You should also not throw away medication blister packs or cardboard.

Valorlux provides a free My Blue Bag app on sorting techniques. Find out more, or you will be refused pickup and receive a red penalty tag. You will be forced to re-sort your garbage and suffer a postponement of pickup.

The Valorlux app informs you about the collection dates of your blue recycling bags in your commune of residence. My Blue Bag also gives you the keys to recycling in accordance with Luxembourg’s rules, as well as a few tips to avoid, for example, your bags flying away. Enough to sort in the best conditions and avoid fines!
The application also allows you to find out about the many sorting parks in Luxembourg. It gives you all their contact information as well as their opening hours. It even offers a GPS system allowing you to easily get there from your geographical location in real time!

You want to get rid of some waste while shopping? My Blue Bag also informs you about the different RE-BOX collection centers located in the parking lots of some shopping centers in Luxembourg. A way to get rid of your waste quickly and easily!

Green garbage can for glass

The green garbage can in Luxembourg is intended to collect glass only, such as empty glass bottles. Remember to remove the caps, lids or metal or plastic sleeves.

All other types of glass, such as windowpanes, mirrors, earthenware or ceramic dishes, light bulbs and full bottles should not be thrown away. Bulbs can be disposed of in the recycling areas of shopping malls.

Brown garbage can: organic and biodegradable waste – Biomüll

The collected biodegradable waste is a renewable energy resource as it is energetically recovered. Energy suppliers now offer energy from Biomüll. The municipalities provide you with specific containers for the collection of this biowaste for an annual fee. Ask your local municipality for more information.

The brown garbage can in Luxembourg, green in other communes, collects all your kitchen waste. You can dispose of food scraps, spoiled food, tea bags, coffee grounds, … Garden waste excluding wood, flowers (excluding rose bushes), plants, grass, small animal droppings can also be deposited there. Biodegradable bags can also be put in.

On the other hand, all wooden garden waste, plant soil, grease and other oils, ashes, coal, cigarette butts, as well as cat litter or baby diapers cannot be thrown in.

Do you have a garden? Why not place your own composter there? You can use the compost created for your plants and flowers.

Would you like to have a garden to grow your own vegetables? See community gardens

Bulky objects

Bulky items can be picked up directly by appointment. Ask your local authorities for more information. After having affixed a label given to you at the time of the appointment, you will be able to deposit the bulky objects directly in front of your home. They will be removed at the agreed time.

Recycling centres

Municipalities also offer their residents free recycling centers to bring in their recyclable or toxic waste, as well as other unnecessary items. Very useful when you don’t have all the garbage cans listed above.
Access to the recycling centers is free of charge and reserved to the residents of the municipality. Please contact your local municipality for more information.

Many categories of recyclable waste are collected in the municipal recycling centers: plastic, glass, cardboard, wood, … Each material finds its place in the different dumpsters or receptacles available.

Toxic waste is also collected and disposed of properly.

You will also find in these waste centers a corner where you can deposit your useless objects.
You leave them available for others who may be interested. Toys, books or children’s clothing, decorative objects that you no longer need, and in good condition so as not to be discarded. This is a good idea to recycle everything. Who knows? Maybe you yourself will find good deals to which you can give a second life?

The Recycling Centre of the City of Luxembourg is located at 48 Rue d’Arlon in Luxembourg-Belair. It is also accessible to residents of the municipality of Strassen.

Limit your plastic waste

Did you know that Luxembourg is a bad student when it comes to recycling plastic waste? According to a 2017 Eurostat study, Luxembourg ranks 21st out of 28 EU countries in terms of plastic waste recycling with an average recycling rate of 33% against 42%.

Each inhabitant in Luxembourg throws away an average of 52 kg of plastic waste per year! The Luxembourg government’s objective is to limit the use of plastic packaging in the coming years to 40 bags per person per year in 2025 compared to 140 currently. The distribution of single-use plastic bags in supermarkets and other shops is now prohibited.

Waste Act 2022

The new waste law provides for the following measures to be implemented progressively until January 1, 2025:

Supermarkets

• No more free bags distributed. Remember to bring your Valorlux Ecobag or eco-bags.
• Beverage department: introduction of a deposit for beverages
• Fruit and vegetable department: no more plastic-wrapped fruits and vegetables for quantities under 1.5 kg. Get yourself some fabric Superbags.
• Space dedicated to the collection of packaging at the checkout

Bring large eco-responsible bags to do your shopping . You can buy them directly at the supermarket checkout. They will be replaced for life if needed. Don’t forget the small reusable cloth bag for your fruits and vegetables.

At home

• Mailboxes should explicitly state that flyers are welcome. Leaflets left on the cars are not allowed.
• Awareness of the reuse of various objects, especially electrical and electronic appliances. Recycling centers will become resource centers to promote reuse.
• During renovation or construction works, the owner will be responsible for sorting the different wastes separately.