Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Brussels intensifies crackdown on improper waste disposal, imposing fines for offences like incorrect sorting and improper bin placement. Efforts include prevention measures and hefty penalties, aiming to curb littering and illegal dumping.
Brussels has begun cracking down on people not correctly sorting their trash and putting out their bins on the wrong daytimes. Both in Schaerbeek, the City of Brussels and Ixelles, residents have acquired fines for these offences.
How Is Brussels Cracking Down on Improper Waste Management?
Brussels‘ rubbish collection service Agence Bruxelles Propreté (ABP) has a broad prevention policy – including the packing of people’s rubbish bags and their large waste or construction waste upon request and advising people on how to properly recycle – however, it has in the past claimed the measures it takes are not sufficient to keep streets clean.
It has therefore begun punishing people who carry out an offence – such as putting bags out on non-collection days or hours, resulting in waste lying on the streets for longer than required or not sorting their rubbish properly – with hefty fines, through its officers and in partnership with the police and the public prosecutor.
Are Residents Facing Fines for Mishandling Waste in Brussels?
It either charges the case before the criminal court or sends the file back to Bruxelles-Propreté, which then charges an administrative fine, which can range from €50 to as much as €62,500. The majority of individuals are fined for not sorting their waste accurately. A total of 40 people living in Ixelles were charged on Friday alone for not sorting their waste or placing rubbish bins on the pavements outside the set times. The Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone undertook a rubbish bag control operation in the Brussels municipality on Friday, during which it explored approximately 1,650 kilograms of waste.
Overall, the efforts resulted in 192 violations, with fines being given out for people throwing cigarette butts or spitting in the street. Traffic was also closely observed during the action, with dozens being fined for breaking the Highway Code. In Schaerbeek too, notes have been put up warning residents that people in particular streets have been fined for not putting out their bins at the allocated times.
Is Brussels Adopting New Systems to Combat Littering?
Earlier, in the ongoing battle between Brussels and littering, the region has begun looking at new collection systems, including underground waste receptacles. The alternative has many benefits, but also several restrictions and problems that still need to be worked out before it can be presented in the Belgian capital.
Many Brussels’ neighbourhoods persist in being plagued by litter and illegal dumping, despite efforts already taken to combat the issue, such as increased fines. When looking at more creative resolutions, a growing number of parties advocate replacing the current bag accumulation system with a network of underground receptacles where residents can dispose of their sorted waste whenever it serves them. This would also mean no more (bi-)weekly waste naps on the pavement, which attracts littering and jerks and often sees birds rip the bags.
