Bruges (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Bruges will halve yellow bag collections from June 2026, doubling prices; GFT waste needs separate bins. Opposition, led by Jasper Pillen (Open VLD), criticises costs, social cuts, and IBO calendar errors.
As VRT News reported, Bruges will change the way it collects household waste starting in June 2026. The city council approved new rules at the end of last year. Under the new plan, the yellow residual waste bag will be collected every 2 weeks instead of weekly. The price of the bag will nearly double.
What impact will Bruges’ new waste rules and costly calendar have on residents?
Officials mentioned that the new rules also affect organic waste. From June 2026, vegetable, fruit, and garden waste, known as GFT, can no longer go into the residual waste bag. Residents will need a separate 25-litre bin for this type of waste.
The new waste rules in Bruges have sparked strong opposition from several political groups. Critics say the regulations are poorly planned and could cause problems for residents. A special city council meeting will be held on January 12, 2026, to discuss the issue in detail.
During the meeting, council members will debate the rules, listen to public concerns, and examine possible adjustments or alternatives. The opposition says the city should reconsider its approach before implementing the regulations fully.
“This is really starting to look like a bad soap opera. The uncertainty surrounding the new regulations only continues to grow,”
says Pillen.
“The city’s response shows that the incorrect version cost taxpayers €53,000. While part of that is covered by Fost Plus, Bruges’ share of the cost is almost €13,000.”
“Add to that the cost of printing and distributing a new calendar, and you’re easily approaching €100,000,”
says Pillen. “Didn’t they know the regulations would change when the new calendar was being created?” Pillen wonders.
Concerns have also arisen about the waste disposal calendar distributed by the intermunicipal association IBO in early December 2025. According to Jasper Pillen, municipal councillor for Open VLD, the calendar does not yet include the new rules. Pillen criticised the city and said he hopes the regulations will be scrapped and the planning redone.
“Flanders sets certain requirements, but it is not true that weekly residual waste collections must be banned. That is a cost-cutting measure,”
Jasper Pillen said.
In March of 2021, Bruges introduced a program to decrease household waste. The program involved the introduction of a third bag for household waste (vegetables, fruit, and garden clippings), as well as a change to how the existing 2 bags for plastic and organic waste were collected. The primary goal for this program was to reduce the amount of waste produced by each household by approximately 25%.
