Few things mark you as a newcomer faster than putting the wrong thing in the wrong bin, the Dutch take afval scheiden (waste separation) seriously, and the system comes with its own alphabet soup. GFT, PMD, restafval: here is what every label means and where it actually goes, so you sort like a local.
The main categories
Dutch recycling sorts into a handful of streams. As municipal waste guides explain:
| Dutch | What it is |
|---|---|
| GFT (groente-, fruit- en tuinafval) | organic/green waste, becomes compost |
| PMD (plastic, metaal en drankkartons) | plastic + metal packaging + drink cartons |
| papier | paper and cardboard |
| glas | glass |
| restafval | residual waste (the rest), incinerated |
Each stream is recycled its own way: paper back into paper, glass into glass, GFT into compost, while restafval is burned. The goal is to keep as little as possible in the restafval.
What goes in PMD (and the 2026 change)
PMD trips people up most. It is packaging: bottles, tubs, trays, tins, caps, plastic bags, and beverage cartons. And as reporting on the 2026 PMD rules notes, from 1 January 2026 PMD also includes aluminium and plastic coffee capsules and empty household spray cans (deodorant, hairspray, whipped cream). When unsure, check your gemeente’s list.
It varies by gemeente
The catch: how you sort and collect depends on your municipality. As city waste-sorting guides describe, some gemeenten collect each stream at the kerb, others have you carry PMD, paper or glass to neighbourhood containers, and a minority let you put PMD in the residual bin for machine-sorting. So the first thing to do in a new home is check your gemeente’s afval rules and collection days.
The milieustraat and the rest
Anything that does not fit a bin, bulky waste, electronics, chemicals, goes to the milieustraat (waste/recycling station). Other special streams you will meet:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| milieustraat | waste/recycling station |
| grofvuil | bulky household waste |
| statiegeld | bottle/can deposit |
| kliko | wheelie bin |
| ophaaldag | collection day |
For the bulky stuff there is a whole process, covered in ditching a broken sofa via grofvuil, and for deposits, see statiegeld phrasing at the service desk.
Where it connects
Recycling is part of the everyday-admin Dutch of running a home here, alongside reporting problems via the gemeente app (buitenbeter) and the broader settling-in admin you sort when bringing a partner over or reading your payslip. It is small, but getting it right is a quiet sign you have arrived.
The bottom line
Dutch waste separation runs on five streams: GFT (organic), PMD (packaging, now including coffee capsules and spray cans from 2026), papier, glas, and restafval (burned), with bulky items going to the milieustraat. The exact rules vary by gemeente, so check yours and learn the labels. Sort it right, and you swap “confused newcomer at the bins” for “neighbour who clearly gets how things work here.”
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the daily-life Dutch the bins and the gemeente use, GFT, PMD, restafval, milieustraat by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can sort your waste right instead of guessing and annoying the whole street.
Frequently asked questions
What do GFT, PMD and restafval mean?
They are the main Dutch waste categories. GFT (groente-, fruit- en tuinafval) is organic/green waste (food scraps, garden waste), which becomes compost. PMD (plastic, metaal en drankkartons) is plastic and metal packaging and drink cartons. Restafval is residual waste, everything that doesn’t fit another category, which is incinerated. Paper/cardboard (papier) and glass (glas) are separate again.
How does waste separation work in the Netherlands?
You sort waste into categories: GFT (organic), PMD (packaging), papier (paper/cardboard), glas (glass), and restafval (the rest). Some gemeenten collect each separately at the kerb; others have you bring PMD, paper or glass to neighbourhood containers, and a minority let you put PMD in with residual waste for machine-sorting. Bulky items go to the milieustraat (waste/recycling station). Rules vary by municipality, so check yours.
What goes in the PMD bag in the Netherlands?
PMD is plastic packaging, metal packaging and drink cartons: bottles, tubs, trays, tins, caps and lids, plastic bags and beverage cartons. From 1 January 2026 it also includes aluminium and plastic coffee capsules and empty household spray cans (deodorant, hairspray, whipped cream). When in doubt, check your gemeente’s list, as some municipalities differ on the details.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for daily life and recycling?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the daily-life Dutch the bins and the gemeente use, GFT, PMD, restafval, milieustraat, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you sort your waste right instead of guessing and annoying the whole street.
