Thanks to SIETREM’s various treatment methods, most waste is recovered—either as energy or as raw materials, depending on its composition.
Household waste sent to the Energy Recovery Unit in Saint-Thibault-des-Vignes is incinerated to generate electricity.
Each year, the facility produces around 70,000 MWh (megawatt-hours) of power.
Recovery of Incineration Residues
Some metal items—like pots, tools, or other steel objects—don’t fully burn when disposed of in the garnet bin. The solid remains left after incineration are called bottom ash.
This bottom ash is sorted to recover metals such as steel and aluminium. Steel is melted down and reused, while aluminium can be recycled endlessly without degrading.
Once metals are removed, the remaining ash is also recycled—used, for instance, as a base layer for road construction.
Once properly sorted, packaging and paper are no longer considered waste. At the sorting centre, each of the ten material categories is processed via a dedicated recycling stream. Cardboard, aluminium, plastic, paper and steel are all returned to traditional manufacturing circuits.
Recycling these materials helps preserve our planet’s precious natural resources.
Did you know?
Glass is 100% and infinitely recyclable. Heated to over 1,500 °C, used glass can be reshaped endlessly into new containers.
Recycled glass—called cullet—is now the primary raw material used by the glass industry.
When you bring your waste to a recycling centre, a large part of it will be recovered.
Furniture and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are collected, sorted and recycled by eco-organizations. These bodies, funded by the eco-contributions charged at purchase, work in partnership with local authorities to ensure proper recovery.
Green waste and wood are composted.
Scrap metal, cardboard, batteries, and textiles are sorted and sent to the appropriate recycling channels.
