Paris's Eco-District to End Pneumatic Waste Collection System

Image credit: Basotxerri

Published on April 3, 2024

The Martin-Luther-King eco-district in Paris’s 17th arrondissement is set to abandon its innovative waste collection system, which has been in place for about a decade. The pneumatic waste collection system, which directly sucks waste from buildings to a collection terminal, has been deemed “costly and inefficient” and will cease operations on May 19. The decision has upset residents who valued the system for its ecological benefits and lack of disruption. The City of Paris decided to return to traditional waste collection methods after the contract with Veolia ends, citing high costs and poor performance, including issues with waste sorting and the system’s inability to handle larger items without prior cutting. The future of the existing infrastructure, which cost 20 million euros, remains uncertain, with suggestions it could be repurposed for fiber optic cable laying or rainwater collection.

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