Brussels, 27 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – More than a tonne of litter was removed from public spaces during the City of Brussels’ first World Cleanup Week, with 1,302 volunteers collecting 1,142 kilograms of rubbish between 18 and 25 September. The Brussels cleanup brought together residents, schools, associations and businesses in a week-long effort to improve public spaces.
1,302 volunteers collect 1,142kg of litter
The City of Brussels said 13 schools and 22 associations and companies participated in the operation. The municipal Cleaning Service supplied volunteers with litter pickers, gloves, bags and visibility vests and arranged the removal of the filled bags.
World Cleanup Week ran across several parts of the city, including the centre, Marolles, Laeken, the European Quarter, Neder-Over-Heembeek, Haren and Bois de la Cambre. Seven cleaning stands operated on World Cleanup Day on 19 September, where residents could meet street-cleaning teams, use cleaning equipment and join litter collections.
A separate large-scale clean-up was also organised at Cinquantenaire Park in partnership with Brussels Environment and the Pavi’On community centre.
Brussels alderman says cleanliness goes beyond one week
Anas Ben Abdelmoumen, the City of Brussels alderman responsible for Public Cleanliness, stressed when the campaign began that municipal efforts would continue beyond the event.
“Of course, our commitment to a cleaner city is not limited to a single week,” Ben Abdelmoumen said.
He also highlighted the work carried out by municipal cleaning employees throughout the year, adding: “Every day, our staff are committed to this. With this week, we want to pay tribute to them and emphasise that cleanliness is everyone’s responsibility.”
The comments accompanied the launch of the Brussels cleanup on 18 September and set out the city’s aim of combining professional municipal services with greater public participation.
Cleanup activities extend across Brussels
The week involved more than conventional litter picking. Activities included a guided rubbish-collection walk along the canal, a collective mural and an art installation created using discarded bouncing balls and reused thread.
The campaign was an extension of World Cleanup Day, the international litter-removal initiative held annually since 2018. Across Brussels, Antwerp and Liège, almost two tonnes of rubbish were collected during World Cleanup Day activities over the previous weekend.
The European Commission also listed the Brussels event as part of its 2026 EU Beach Cleanup activities, noting that participatory collections could be organised throughout the week with or without assistance from local street sweepers.
Brussels shares cleanup results with other cities
The first Brussels cleanup week concluded with a regional conference organised by the Association of Cities for Urban Cleanliness. Brussels shared its experience with other municipalities in the capital and with Walloon cities including Charleroi and Liège.
The campaign has now ended, but routine municipal cleaning continues across Brussels. The city’s message during the initiative was that community participation should complement the year-round work of professional cleaning teams rather than replace it.
