Cheat sheet

Ask about recycling in French: bins, instructions and collection days

Use five French questions to find the right bin, read the building’s instructions and ask about collection. Includes object pictures and a neighbour exchange.

In short

Ask Où sont les consignes de tri ? for the sorting instructions and Dans quel bac faut-il mettre cet emballage ? for a particular item. For collection arrangements, ask Quel jour faut-il sortir les bacs ?

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

Le tri dans l’immeuble · cinq questions

1 · Find the bin room

Où asks for a place. Listen for a floor, a door or a shared outdoor space.

Où se trouve le local des poubelles ?Where is the bin room?

Il est au rez-de-chaussée, près de la cour.It’s on the ground floor, near the courtyard.

2 · Find the instructions

Les consignes de tri are sorting instructions. Affichées means posted on a wall or noticeboard.

Où puis-je consulter les consignes de tri ?Where can I read the sorting instructions?

Elles sont affichées près de la porte.They’re posted near the door.

3 · Ask about a particular item

Point to the object and name it. Dans quel bac asks which bin it goes in.

Dans quel bac faut-il mettre cet emballage ?Which bin should this packaging go in?

Et cette bouteille en verre ?And this glass bottle?

4 · Ask about putting the bins out

Sortir les bacs means putting the bins out. Ask the day, then the time.

Quel jour faut-il sortir les bacs ?Which day should the bins be put out?

Et à quelle heure ?And at what time?

5 · Find the right person to ask

À qui asks for a person. Use it when the item is missing from the list.

Je ne trouve pas cet emballage dans la liste. À qui puis-je demander ?I can’t find this packaging on the list. Who can I ask?

Vous pouvez contacter la personne indiquée sur l’affiche.You can contact the person named on the poster.

Six things to point to

How do you ask about recycling in French?

Devant le local des poubelles
  1. Nora

    Bonjour, je viens d’emménager. Les consignes de tri sont affichées ici ?

    Hello, I’ve just moved in. Are the sorting instructions posted here?

  2. Neighbour

    Oui, près de la porte. Le planning de collecte est juste à côté.

    Yes, near the door. The collection schedule is right beside them.

  3. Nora

    Merci. Et pour cet emballage ? Je ne le trouve pas dans la liste.

    Thank you. And what about this packaging? I can’t find it on the list.

  4. Neighbour

    Vous pouvez demander au gardien. Son numéro est au bas de l’affiche.

    You can ask the caretaker. His number is at the bottom of the poster.

  5. Nora

    D’accord. Je vais lui demander. Merci !

    All right. I’ll ask him. Thank you!

Three words for three parts of the job
FrenchMeaningUseful phrase
le trisorting wasteles consignes de tri
la collectecollectionle planning de collecte
le recyclagerecyclingun point de recyclage

For your building, start with its posted instructions and collection schedule. Quel bac ? asks where an item belongs. Quel jour ? asks when something happens. Qui s’en occupe ? asks who takes care of the task.

Question 1No account needed
Where are the instructions in Nora’s building?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Near the bin-room door.. The neighbour says the instructions are posted près de la porte.

Question 2No account needed
Which question asks about the collection day?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Quel jour faut-il sortir les bacs ?. Quel jour asks for the day; sortir les bacs is putting the bins out.

Question 3No account needed
Who should Nora ask about the packaging missing from the list?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Le gardien.. The neighbour directs Nora to le gardien, the building’s caretaker.