Credit: Ali Sahib, chronicle.lu
On Thursday 17 September 2026, the Intercommunal Association for Public Hygiene of the Canton of Capellen (SICA) officially inaugurated its new Resource Centre in Kehlen in the presence of Luxembourg’s Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity Serge Wilmes.
The inauguration was also attended by SICA President and Mayor of Mamer Luc Feller and representatives of the eight member municipalities. The new centre replaces Luxembourg’s first recycling centre, opened by SICA in 1994, and is designed to meet the needs of approximately 46,000 residents. It places greater emphasis on waste prevention, reuse and repair, rather than recycling alone.
“We try to use our products longer. People who have a product that they don’t need anymore, but that is still good, can bring it to us, and other people can take it away to continue using it. The centre is not just open to the inhabitants of our member municipalities, but to all the inhabitants of the country,” Luc Feller told Chronicle.lu.
The new centre features an expanded Recyclage-Buttek second-hand shop covering more than 160 m², where visitors can drop off items in good condition and take others home free of charge. It also includes more than 100 m² of space for a future permanent Repairatelier, where residents will be able to have items repaired and learn how to repair everyday objects themselves. A dedicated educational room will accommodate school classes and support SICA’s awareness-raising activities.
“We should not just produce, consume, and then destroy. We should design our goods to last longer and try to reuse and repair them rather than simply throwing them away. People need infrastructure and a place where they can put these principles into practice,” Minister Wilmes told Chronicle.lu.
He explained that the transition from recycling centres to resource centres formed part of Luxembourg’s efforts to implement the principles of the circular economy. Minister Wilmes also highlighted the role of municipalities in waste management and said the state supported their investment in modern infrastructure through regulation and financial assistance.
The redevelopment of the SICA site is taking place in two phases. The second phase will include an area for compacting and sorting collected materials, a rooftop photovoltaic installation and a dedicated parking area for trailers. According to SICA, the work will continue for another sixteen months while the centre remains fully operational.
The new Resource Centre will open to the public as part of Portes Ouvertes Luxembourg (Luxembourg Open Days) on Sunday 20 September 2026, from 10:00 to 17:00.
