Underground rubbish containers for a clean neighbourhood

The municipality is placing underground containers for rubbish at many locations throughout the city. These bins help to ensure that your street stays clean and tidy. Read more about the containers on this page.

Underground containers offer many advantages:

• you can decide yourself when to dispose of your garbage bag
• you will experience less nuisance from animals, such as rats, mice and cats
• you will have less street litter due to ripped garbage bags
• you will live in cleaner and healthier surroundings.

Placement of containers in your neighbourhood

The municipality takes a number of factors into consideration when deciding on the placement of a container. It first examines what the best location would be for the container. Neighbourhood residents are invited to voice their opinion on the choice of location. You can read more about the steps on the page Begin link: Placement of underground rubbish containers, end link. (in Dutch).

How to use the container

Look at how you should use the container:

• Use a tightly sealed bag to dispose of your waste in the container.
• Do not throw loose waste into the container. Loose waste will start to stink.
• Do not place your garbage bag next to the container. Is the container full? Then walk to another container in the neighbourhood.
• The containers are meant only for household waste which can fit into a garbage bag. Large-sized waste, such as a garden chair or drying rack, does not belong in or next to the container. You can drop off this bulky waste at a Begin link: waste depot, end link. or Begin link: make an appointment to have it collected, end link. at your home for free.
• Businesses are not allowed to use the containers.
• Do not throw any bags into the containers between 22.00 hrs. in the evening and 7.00 hrs. in the morning. It makes too much noise.

Containers are emptied regularly

The underground rubbish containers in The Hague have sensors which keep track of how full a container is. The HMS (Haagse Milieu Services) gets a signal when the containers are nearly full. The HMS will add the containers to the collection schedule and they will be emptied as soon as possible. They are emptied only between 7.00 hrs. in the morning and 22.00 hrs. in the evening. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to empty the contents of each container.

Report a full, obstructed or dirty container

Is the container nevertheless full? Or is the container broken or dirty? Report this to the municipality. You can report this through the page Begin link: Report a problem, end link. .

Help keep the containers clean

Are there underground containers in your street? You are welcome to help keep the area around the containers clean. You will then get a key to open the side panel of the container and take care of any obstructions. This way you contribute towards making your neighbourhood clean and pleasant. Sign up on the page Begin link: Adopt an underground rubbish container, end link. .

Cleaning of the containers

The municipality gives the underground rubbish containers a thorough cleaning each year. Is the bin exceptionally filthy or stinky? You can Begin link: report this to the municipality, end link. .

Also see: Household rubbish