Disposing of renovation rubble from a flat in Prague: recycling centre, skip and sorting

Construction rubble from a flat renovation does not belong in a wheelie bin or in the large-capacity containers on the street. Prague residents with permanent residence can take smaller amounts of sorted rubble to a recycling centre free of charge, up to 4 m³ per year and 2 m³ at a time. If you have more waste, order a rubble skip from a company authorised to take over waste. Hand in paints, thinners and other hazardous waste separately.

Before you start the final cleaning, it is best for the flat to be free of bags and buckets of rubble. Otherwise the dust spreads further and you end up cleaning twice. This article deals only with waste: what goes where and how to sort it. For cleaning dust and surfaces, see the article post-renovation cleaning: procedure and equipment.

What the law says about construction waste from households

The Waste Act defines construction and demolition waste as waste generated during construction and demolition activities. The originator of the waste is the person whose activity generated it. Under the Act, everyone is obliged to handle waste only in the manner the Act prescribes and to hand over any waste they do not process themselves at a place intended for that purpose (Act No. 541/2020 Sb., on waste, § 13).

Under § 59 of the same Act, a municipality must designate places for construction and demolition waste from non-business individuals in amounts of up to 1 t per month. In Prague, this role is fulfilled mainly by recycling centres. Anyone who produces more than they can hand over to the municipality should, under § 15, have the handover of waste secured by a written contract. In practice, this usually means a contract with a company that delivers a skip and takes the waste away.

This is general information, not legal advice. If a building contractor is carrying out the renovation, check the contract to see who is responsible for the waste and who will arrange its removal.

How to sort renovation waste

Recycling centres accept construction waste only if it is sorted, without other waste components. It therefore pays to sort straight away when demolishing, not at the end. The Waste Catalogue (Decree No. 8/2021 Sb.) distinguishes, among others, the following groups:

An asterisk next to a catalogue number denotes hazardous waste. It must not end up mixed with rubble or in a wheelie bin.

Sorting procedure during the works

1. At the start, prepare separate sturdy bags or buckets for rubble, plasterboard, wood, metals and chemical packaging.
2. Put rubble (bricks, concrete, plaster, tiles) into smaller bags that you can carry. A full bag of rubble is very heavy, and a weak bag tears easily.
3. Keep plasterboard separate from bricks and concrete. It has its own number in the catalogue, and rubble in a mixture is harder to hand over.
4. Stack wood (skirting boards, old doors, tongue-and-groove boards) and metals (profiles, pipes, radiators) separately. Recycling centres accept them as separate types of waste.
5. Leave leftover paints, thinners and adhesives in their original packaging with the label, and close the packaging tightly.
6. Sort paper and plastic packaging from materials (cardboard, foil, adhesive sacks with no residue) into ordinary sorted waste or take it to a recycling centre.
7. If you suspect a material contains asbestos, do not break it up; leave it in place (see below).

Recycling centres in Prague: what they accept and how much

The recycling centres of the City of Prague are operated by Pražské služby. According to their page on recycling centres, the following rules apply to residents with permanent residence in Prague:

• Construction waste sorted without other waste components is accepted free of charge up to 4 m³ per calendar year, with a maximum of 2 m³ per load.
• Bulky waste (furniture, household equipment) is accepted free of charge up to 5.5 m³ per year.
• Selected hazardous waste – including paints, solvents, motor oils and batteries – is accepted free of charge.
• Electrical equipment is accepted free of charge under the take-back scheme, even without permanent residence in Prague.
• Wood, metals, paper, plastics and glass.
• Vehicles up to 3.5 t may enter.

Recycling centres do not accept, among other things, asphalt, roofing felt and asbestos cement. The Praha 6 Drnovská recycling centre does not accept construction or hazardous waste. On arrival, you will need to show proof of permanent residence. Check the opening hours and conditions of the particular centre on the operator's website before you set off, as they may change.

Large-capacity street containers are not for rubble

The containers that boroughs place according to a schedule are intended for bulky household waste. According to Pražské služby, they accept, for example, old furniture, carpets, linoleum and other floor coverings, or sanitary ceramics such as washbasins and toilet bowls. According to the page on large-capacity containers, you must not put construction waste (rubble and building materials), hazardous waste or electrical appliances into them.

You can therefore put an old carpet or a demolished toilet into such a container, but not bags of plaster and tiles. You can find the dates when containers are placed on the city's online map or on your borough's website.

When it pays to order a rubble skip

With a larger renovation, such as demolishing a partition wall or replacing all floors and tiles, you will often not fit within the recycling centre limit. It is then more practical to order a rubble skip or bulk bags from a company that will take the waste to a facility intended for that purpose. When ordering, ask:

• what type of waste you may put in the skip (clean rubble only, or mixed construction waste too) and whether plasterboard may be added,
• what the permitted volume and weight of the load are,
• whether the company will issue you a confirmation of waste takeover, or a written contract,
• where the skip will stand. If it is to stand on a pavement or road, check with your borough office whether a permit for use of public space is required.

Prepare for the skip inside the building as well. Agree with your neighbours or the homeowners' association (SVJ) committee on the time of carrying out the rubble, and protect the floor in the common areas and the lift. After the rubble has been carried out, the staircase usually needs to be mopped.

Paints, thinners and adhesives

According to the Waste Catalogue, leftover paints and varnishes and packaging contaminated with hazardous substances are hazardous waste. Do not pour them into the sink, toilet or drain, and do not throw them in the bin. Take them in closed original packaging to a recycling centre. For how to deal with drops of paint and protective sheeting in a flat, see the article cleaning after painting.

When handling chemicals, wear gloves, ventilate the room and follow the product label. Never mix leftovers of different products, especially products containing chlorine with acids or ammonia. You will find details in the overview of cleaning products you should never mix.

Asbestos cement and suspected asbestos

Older flats and houses may contain materials with asbestos, such as asbestos cement sheets. In the Waste Catalogue they have their own number as hazardous waste, and Prague recycling centres do not accept asbestos cement. The US Environmental Protection Agency recommends leaving undamaged asbestos materials alone, entrusting sampling to trained professionals and leaving removal to accredited specialists (US EPA).

If you are not sure what a sheet or insulation is made of, stop work and have the material assessed before you start cutting or breaking it.

What not to forget before the final cleaning

1. Remove all rubble and building material from the flat as well as from the cellar or corridor of the building.
2. Take hazardous waste and electrical waste away separately, not together with the rubble.
3. Keep any confirmations of waste handover, if the recycling centre or company issued them to you.
4. Check the common areas through which the waste was carried.
5. Only then begin cleaning dust and washing windows and floors.

If you are also moving, the moving cleaning checklist will help you. Úklid 1-2-3 also offers the final cleaning of a flat after the waste has been removed as post-renovation cleaning. You will find the approximate scope and prices on the page how much post-renovation cleaning costs.