Leuven (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Starting January 2025, garbage bag prices in Leuven will increase. Small bags will cost €14.50, and large bags will be €29. This makes Leuven’s bags much more expensive than in Antwerp and Brussels. Different towns have different waste collection methods, with some charging based on weight and others using fixed-price bags, making it hard to compare costs.
Starting January 2025, garbage bag prices in Leuven will increase significantly. A roll of 10 small garbage bags will cost 14.50 euros, up from 11.25 euros. Large bags will cost 6.5 euros, up from 22.50 euros to 29 euros per roll. This makes Leuven’s bags much more expensive than in Antwerp, where a roll of 10 costs 5.5 euros, and in Brussels, where a roll of 15 is just 1.50 euros. All these small bags hold 30 liters, but not all bags are the same.
How do waste collection methods and costs vary across municipalities in Belgium?
The way household waste is collected varies greatly by municipality. In towns like Turnhout, Sint-Niklaas, and Aalst, a system called diftar is used, where families pay based on the amount of waste they throw away. Each household has a container that is weighed during collection, and fees are calculated with a fixed price plus a cost per kilo. Other municipalities use garbage bags, which residents buy in rolls and leave on the street when full. These bags are usually not weighed. Some towns offer the diftar system and the garbage bag option, and many have collection points for sorted waste.
Municipalities set different prices for garbage bags, which can vary a lot from one place to another. Some towns charge based on how much waste is collected, while others use flat-rate bags that aren’t weighed, making it hard to compare costs. Also, not all areas collect organic waste separately, even though new rules started on January 1 in Flanders. Some towns have delayed this change until 2026, but people can still take their organic waste to special drop-off points.
