#104 Asking About Garbage Disposal Rules｜French Phrases for Daily Life

When living in France, garbage disposal rules can vary greatly depending on the area.

Because there are detailed regulations regarding the day of collection, sorting, and where to put the bins, it is important to ask your neighbours or landlord whenever you are unsure.

In this lesson, I will introduce useful French expressions for asking about garbage disposal rules, together with a model dialogue.

Dialogue

A

Excusez-moi. Pourriez-vous m’expliquer les règles pour sortir les poubelles dans cet immeuble ?
（Excuse me. Could you explain the rules for taking out the garbage in this building?）

B

Bien sûr. Ici, les ordures ménagères doivent être sorties le mardi et le vendredi matin.
（Of course. Here, household waste has to be taken out on Tuesday and Friday mornings.）

A

D’accord. Et pour le tri sélectif, il y a des consignes particulières ?
（Okay. And for sorted waste, are there any specific rules?）

B

Oui, le plastique et le papier vont dans le bac jaune, et le verre doit être déposé dans le conteneur au coin de la rue.
（Yes, plastic and paper go in the yellow bin, and glass has to be put in the container at the corner of the street.）

A

Est-ce que je dois sortir les poubelles devant l’entrée ou dans la cour ?
（Should I put the bins in front of the entrance or in the courtyard?）

B

Dans la cour, s’il vous plaît. Le gardien les sort ensuite pour la collecte.
（In the courtyard, please. The caretaker then puts them out for collection.）

A

Merci beaucoup, c’est très clair !
（Thank you very much, that’s very clear!）

1. Polite Expressions for Asking About the Rules

When you move into a new building or neighbourhood, you should first check the garbage disposal rules.

The key expression here is “Pourriez-vous … ?” (Could you …?). It is a very polite and versatile way to make a request, suitable for neighbours, landlords, and generally anyone in everyday life.

By adding “les règles” (the rules), you naturally convey that you want to know about the day, location, sorting, and time for taking the garbage out.

2. Asking About Collection Days

In France, garbage may be collected every day or only on specific days of the week, and in some areas failure to follow the rules may result in fines or warnings.

Because the collection day can differ greatly from one area to another, it is something you should always confirm.

“Quel jour … ?” (On which day …?) is a standard pattern for asking about days of the week.

The structure “faut-il sortir … ?” expresses an obligation, meaning “do I have to put out … ?” or “when must I put out … ?”.

“ordures ménagères” means “household waste” or “general household rubbish”.

“doivent être sorties” literally means “must be taken out”, and is a useful structure when explaining rules and obligations.

3. Asking About Sorting Rules

In France, bins are often colour-coded (yellow, blue, white, etc.), and sorting rules vary depending on the local authority.

“tri sélectif” means “separate collection” or “sorted waste”, and “consignes” refers to “instructions, rules, or guidelines”.

Consignes is a frequently used word when talking about house rules or local regulations.

Possible answers include:

4. Asking Where and How to Put the Bins Out

Depending on the building, the designated place for garbage may be in front of the entrance, in the courtyard, or in a dedicated space in the basement. This is another point you should definitely clarify.

Both “devant l’entrée” (in front of the entrance) and “dans la cour” (“in the courtyard”) are basic expressions that you will often hear and use in daily life.

In this answer, “Le gardien les sort ensuite” means “the caretaker takes them out later (afterwards)”, implying that you only need to bring the bins to the designated place and the caretaker will handle the rest.

Summary