Niel (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Niel, all street clothing containers are being removed due to trash problems. With IGEAN and Ecoso, new drop-off points and 4 yearly home pickups will start. Alderman Meulders supports the plan.
As VRT News reported, in Niel, Belgium, a municipality in the Antwerp province, there were a lot of litter/disposal issues around the clothing collection boxes that were intended for old clothes, but people used them to dump a lot of other items, such as boxes, broken items, etc.
The town workers had to clean it up almost every week. Many people in the town were upset about it. Alderman Meulders said the problem had been ongoing for years, and he was tired of it. The town has now decided to remove the containers from the streets. They want to find a better way to collect clothes without the mess.
How is Niel making clothing donations easier and cleaner?
To fix the problem, Niel is working with waste company IGEAN and social group Ecoso. The town will take away all clothing containers from the streets. Instead, people will be able to bring clothes to special drop-off spots or ask for home pickup.
Ecoso will help with the collection and give jobs to people who have a hard time finding work. The new plan will also make sure the clothes stay clean and can be reused. Cleaning workers will no longer have to visit the same places every week. The town hopes this will make the streets look better. They will also tell people how the new system works.
According to officials, in Niel, the town wants to make it easier to donate clothes. There is a mobile recycling centre at the market once a month. People can bring waste and old items there. Starting in September 2025, they can also bring clothes to a new collection point at the market.
The new spot will be cleaner.
In Niel, the new clothing collection point will have staff to help people. They will make sure only the right items are dropped off. They mentioned that if people cannot come on market days, they can still bring clothes to the recycling centre.
They can go when it suits them. IGEAN will also collect clothes from homes 4 times a year. People will not need to leave their house to donate. The town wants to make it easy for everyone to give clothes cleanly and simply.
