A Municipal Service, Not a Landlord Service
In the Netherlands, trash removal (afvalinzameling) and recycling are public services organized and managed by the local municipality (gemeente). It is not a service provided by your landlord. As a resident, you pay for this service directly to the municipality through a mandatory annual tax called the afvalstoffenheffing (waste collection tax). The landlord has no role in the collection process itself and cannot charge you a separate fee for it. This system applies to all households, whether they are renting or owning.
Landlord's Responsibility for Facilities
While the service is municipal, the landlord does have a crucial responsibility: they must provide tenants with the proper facilities to participate in the local waste management system. What this entails depends on the type of housing. For houses or ground-floor apartments: The landlord must ensure there is a designated, appropriate space for the tenant to store the various wheelie bins (kliko's) provided by the municipality (for residual waste, organic waste, paper, etc.). For apartment buildings: The landlord or VvE is responsible for the management of the communal waste disposal area. This often means providing access to, and ensuring the proper functioning of, the building's shared underground containers (ondergrondse containers). They are also responsible for keeping these communal waste areas clean and accessible.
Tenant's Responsibility for Correct Disposal
The tenant's responsibility is to use the provided facilities correctly and to adhere to the municipality's rules for waste separation. This means separating your waste into the correct streams (e.g., PMD - plastic, metal, and drink cartons; GFT - organic waste; paper; glass) and placing it in the designated containers. Failure to do so can lead to warnings or even fines from the municipality. You are also responsible for disposing of large items (grofafval) correctly, which usually involves making an appointment with the municipality for a special collection or taking it to a municipal recycling center (milieustraat).
