Short answer
Every business that produces or holds waste must sort it at source. In general, the streams concerned are paper, metals, plastics, glass, wood, textiles (since 1 January 2025) and biowaste, plus cooking oils above 60 litres a year. Mineral fractions and plaster are added for construction and demolition waste. The framework is décret n° 2021-950 of 16 July 2021. Sources (3)SService-PublicService-Public Entreprendre — Source separation of business waste (checked 17 March 2025)↗MMinistryFAQ on 6- to 8-stream sorting (ministry)↗IINERISDécret n° 2021-950 (AIDA/INERIS)↗
The general case
Service-Public lists the streams every business must sort at source: paper, metals, plastics, glass, wood, textiles (since 1 January 2025) and biowaste, including waste made up of more than 50% biowaste. Cooking oils are sorted separately from 60 litres a year; below that, with the biowaste.
Construction and demolition
Construction and demolition waste has its own list: wood, mineral fractions, metal, glass, plastic and plaster. That is where the “7” or “8 streams” quoted for construction come from.
5, 6, 7 or 8 streams: where do these numbers come from
The original “5-stream sorting” covered paper/cardboard, metal, plastic, glass and wood. Décret n° 2021-950 of 16 July 2021 extended the obligation (mineral fractions and plaster for construction, textiles from 1 January 2025). Biowaste falls under a separate obligation, generalised on 1 January 2024.
Exemptions
A business that recovers part of this waste itself is not required to sort it at source, provided this does not hinder its reuse, recycling or recovery. A business that uses the public collection service and produces less than 1,100 litres of waste per week follows its local authority's sorting instructions.
In practice
Each stream needs a labelled container. In an office, one 3- to 4-stream station per circulation area (reception, break room, open space) covers the everyday streams; glass, wood or textiles usually go to a specific collection. Public-access buildings have additional obligations: see the ERP answer.
Sources
- Service-Public Entreprendre — Source separation of business waste (checked 17 March 2025) Service-Public
- FAQ on 6- to 8-stream sorting (ministry) Ministry
- Décret n° 2021-950 (AIDA/INERIS) INERIS
Founder of PoubelleTri. Has designed and made recycling stations for businesses and local authorities since 2010: more than 16 years of B2B manufacturing experience.
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