We intended to compost rather than mulch as I didn’t have the right adapter for the tondeuse - but there was always too much to spread back and “garden rubbish heap” would be a better description anyway so not actually as straightforward as it should be.
Yes, should have planned better 
Though you have made me think maybe I should ask the guy we now have cutting the lawn if he’s able to mulch rather than pile it up. 
Reference to SMD3, Tax Foncieres, Tax D’Habitude in Dordogne.
Please can someone help me as I am struggling to understand if I am paying twice or not.
I bought my place in France in 2018, and enjoy anytime I can be there. Originally, I was paying Fonciere, and D’habitude taxes for my property in Le Bugue, 24260 Dordogne on an annual bill basis. It’s a small house in the village. I would weekly take my small waste bags and put them out on collection day. it worked. all good.
Since a year or two, the SMD3 system happened, and I establised the account and got the card. So I now either go to the Dechetterie, or the local drop bins in the village and use my SMD3 card to open and drop. It works fine.
BUT I think I am being double charged as I still pay the old way of Fonceires/Habitude Taxes, which I thought would cover waste. These haven’t changed other than going up a bit with an annual rise. In addition to this, I also pay circa €300 for the SMD3 service.
It appears to me I am paying for the old and the new way of doing bins. Is that correct? I am a UK resident, and this is my second home.
Any comments are appreciated, thank you.
SDM3 are a bunch of @7£53&holes. We are all paying a lot more for a worse service. Yes you still pay tax fonciere plus habitation as a 2nd home owner
AND SDM3.
Hi @Matt-LeBugue and welcome to the forum.
No, you won’t be being charged twice for the same thing. 
Rubbish Collection charges used to be part of the Tax Foncière bill… (the Property Owner’s bill)
Now “Rubbish” is billed under it’s own right… SMD3 in your case… and the TFoncière bill will no longer include that charge…
Taxe d’Habitation is the tax you pay for “habiting” in your 2nd Home/holiday home
Sadly all Taxes have increased… we are all in the same boat… and paddling furiously 
Thank you @Stella and @toryroo, that’s really helpful
I just checked my 2023 Fonceires bill and can see that the line item for Ordures has been removed for 2023, which I guess is what is replaced by the new (more expensive) SMD3. - that explains that thanks.
Interesting the point about ‘second home’. I don’t actually have a first home as I live with my girfriend in Wales, and at the moment don’t have the paperwork to permanently stay in France, but sometime this year or so I expect to achieve my Irish Citizenship, and this will then become my primary home.
Does this charge for second home waste situation change when I change my situation to being a primary home ?
thanks again, your comments are super helpful and appreciated,
You will still pay SDM3 however once it is your permanent residence you will no longer pay tax De’ hab, only fonciere.
If and when this French property becomes your permanent residence… you might well find that Taxe d’Habitation ceases to be billed to you. That’s the case at present, but who knows what will happen in future years (it’s all very new )
You will still be billed by SMD3 but, according to their charging method, for a Main Residence…
still a very new area of rubbish/recycling/charging… as far as I can see… SMD3 reckon a 2nd home person will use their services less than a Permanent Resident…
so… swings and roundabouts… one bill ceases and another increases…
as I said, we’re all padding furiously.
EDIT: A primary residence brings other responsibilities… Worldwide Income Declaration etc etc… it’s great living in France… but be prepared to follow long paths through the bureaucracy
I hesitate to raise the following rather sensitive immigration issue, since that wasn’t the purpose of your original question…I’m sure you possibly know all this, so apologies for flagging it up…
Whilst you would be able to live in France as an EU citizen (with your Irish citizenship), your girlfriend - unless she too is an EU citizen -would either need to be married to you, or have a civil partnership/PACs (French equivalent) to be able to move to France with you. Alternatively she would have to jump through numerous French visa hoops.
The EU regulations on EU citizens and their families moving to live in the EU are common sensical, surprisingly humane, and relatively light touch - provided there is a formal relationship. Boyfriend and girlfriend is not recognised by the EU regs as constituting a family relationship unfortunately. See Article 2(b)…
EU Directive 2004 38 ENG.pdf (188.1 KB)
Just because you own it and can use it when you want as an EU national doesn’t actually mean it will automatically be your “maison principal” in the French sense of the word. You would have to become fiscally resident. And again although commonly considered to mean spending over 183 days in France it is actually not quite as simple. When the time comes check a bit more.
You have to contact your local tax office (Sarlat?) and ask them to remove the TEOM from you Taxe Foncière (this is what relates to the old rubbish collection payment), telling them you now pay SMD3.
Many of us have done it, and they will remove (or refund) the amount of TEOM from your Taxe Foncière.