Czech Republic operates one of the more structured municipal waste separation systems in Central Europe. Six container colours, mandatory since 2004 under Act No. 185/2001 Sb. and revised in 2021 under Act No. 541/2020 Sb., divide household waste into distinct streams before it reaches any processing facility.
The Container Colour System
Anyone who has moved to a Czech city encounters the kontejnerová stání — the outdoor container stations found in residential areas, often tucked into courtyards or alongside pavements. Each colour handles a specific material category, and mixing waste between containers increases processing costs and reduces the material recovery rate.
Yellow — Plastics, Metals, and Beverage Cartons
Yellow containers accept plastic bottles, packaging, metal tins, aluminium foil, and Tetra Pak-style beverage cartons. They do not accept styrofoam packaging used for electronics, dirty containers still coated in food, or single-use plastics that cannot be identified by resin type. Prague had approximately 10,200 yellow containers in operation in 2023 according to the Prague City Hall environmental department.
Blue — Paper and Cardboard
Blue containers take newspapers, cardboard boxes, magazines, paper bags, and office paper. Wet or heavily soiled paper — such as pizza boxes with grease — lowers the quality of the paper pulp and is generally directed to mixed waste. Czech households collectively deposited around 178,000 tonnes of paper into blue containers in 2023, according to EKO-KOM data.
Green — Mixed Glass
Green containers hold bottles, jars, and other glass packaging regardless of colour. Flat glass (window panes, mirrors) is not accepted here — it has a different chemical composition and must go to a specialised collection point or hazardous waste station. White containers, present in some municipalities, are reserved for clear glass only and allow for higher-quality cullet recovery.
Brown — Biodegradable and Kitchen Waste
Brown containers receive vegetable peelings, fruit waste, coffee grounds, eggshells, bread, and cooked food. From January 2025, municipalities exceeding 2,000 inhabitants are legally required to provide these containers under the updated Waste Act. The collected material goes to composting facilities or biogas plants. Prague's municipal company Pražské služby a.s. processed roughly 42,000 tonnes of separated bio-waste in 2023.
Czech Republic recycled 47% of municipal solid waste in 2023, above the EU average of 37% and ahead of the 2025 EU target of 55% only by adopting the 2035 trajectory target rather than the intermediate one.
Grey or Black — Mixed Residual Waste
What remains after sorting — food-soiled packaging, hygiene products, broken ceramics, dust, and other non-recyclable materials — goes into the grey or black bins. This waste stream goes directly to incineration at one of Czech Republic's five waste-to-energy plants, the largest being Malešice (ZEVO Malešice) in Prague, which processes approximately 310,000 tonnes per year and supplies district heating to 100,000 households.
The EKO-KOM System
Since 1997, the EKO-KOM scheme has operated as the primary packaging recovery system in Czech Republic. Producers and importers of packaged goods pay a fee proportional to the weight and material type of packaging they place on the market. These funds are redistributed to municipalities to cover the cost of maintaining container networks, collection logistics, and sorting facilities.
In 2023, EKO-KOM reported 67.3% of all packaging placed on the Czech market was recovered — packaging recovery (recycling plus energy recovery) combined. The scheme is mandatory for any company placing more than 300 kg of packaging materials annually on the Czech market, which effectively covers all commercial producers and most importers.
What Happens After Collection
Collected recyclables are taken to sorting facilities — třídírny odpadů — where they are sorted by material type using a combination of optical sensors, magnets, and eddy-current separators. Plastics are separated by resin (PET, HDPE, PP), metals are sorted ferrous from non-ferrous, and paper grades are separated by quality. From sorting facilities, baled materials go to reprocessors in Czech Republic, Germany, and other EU markets.
Glass collected in green containers is delivered directly to glass manufacturers, primarily Owens-Illinois and Vetropack, which operate production facilities in Czech Republic. Czech glass recycling reached approximately 79% of bottles and jars placed on the market in 2023.
Hazardous Waste and Special Categories
Beyond the standard container network, Czech municipalities maintain sběrné dvory (collection yards) that accept hazardous household waste: batteries, fluorescent tubes, motor oil, solvents, medications, and electronics. The povinný zpětný odběr (mandatory take-back) regulation requires retailers of electronics, batteries, and tyres to accept used items at no charge. Major chains including Datart, Alza, and Mall comply with this requirement.
Textile collection — kontejnery na textil — is operated by charitable organisations (Diakonie, Charita) and for-profit collectors. From 2025, separate textile collection became a legal requirement for municipalities above 2,000 inhabitants under an EU directive transposition.
Common Sorting Mistakes
- Placing plastic bags containing sorted waste into a recycling container — the bag itself may be recyclable, but it clogs sorting machinery.
- Putting broken ceramics or porcelain into glass containers — these have melting points incompatible with glass cullet reprocessing.
- Depositing prescription medication in household bins — medications contain active compounds that leach from landfill and are not destroyed in all incineration processes. Pharmacies accept returns without requiring a reason.
- Placing disposable diapers or sanitary products in any container other than residual waste — these are not recoverable and contaminate other streams.
Last updated: 15 April 2026