Halle (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Halle will keep throwing biodegradable confetti, candy, and oranges during Carnival. Mayor Marc Demesmaeker defends the tradition, while Minister Jo Brouns confirms OVAM’s cleanup charter remains voluntary.
As VRT News reported, the city of Halle will continue to allow the throwing of biodegradable confetti and candy during its Carnival, despite a request from the Flemish waste agency OVAM to stop the practice.
OVAM has issued a charter to encourage cleaner and more sustainable public events. The document advises a full ban on confetti and calls for caution when throwing other items such as toys or sweets. The charter is not a law but a set of voluntary guidelines.
Officials mentioned that municipalities that choose to sign it can later apply for financial support to develop projects that cut down on waste during parades and festivals. Halle officials say the city already follows strict environmental rules and therefore sees no reason to change its current approach.
What keeps Halle holding on to its Carnival traditions despite OVAM’s Confetti ban call?
Mayor Marc Demesmaeker said the city has taken several steps to make the celebration more sustainable.
“We are already doing a lot to organise a clean carnival,”
he stated.
“When schools hold their own parades, confetti is not used, and during the main parade, only biodegradable confetti is allowed. We also require reusable cups to limit plastic waste.”
And those measures are working, says the mayor:
“We have a large team of city staff that cleans up the city completely every time. We evaluate the situation together every year, and we notice that the waste mountain is getting smaller and smaller.”
The city of Halle will keep its well-known Carnival traditions, including the throwing of candy and oranges, despite new advice from the Flemish waste agency OVAM. Mayor Marc Demesmaeker said the city does not plan to ban these customs.
“Candy is thrown, and the Gilles, for example, traditionally throw oranges. We don’t think it’s appropriate to ban everything and impose too many rules,”
he said.
The OVAM charter was discussed yesterday, Oct 22, 2025, in the Flemish Parliament. Environment Minister Jo Brouns (CD&V) confirmed that the charter is not mandatory.
“The charter was drawn up with the idea of organising everything as sustainably as possible,”
he told parliament.
“To be fair, you can indeed find things on the side of the road for weeks or even months. I don’t mind that if you want to keep Carnival alive as a wonderful, beautiful tradition. As long as you clean everything up afterwards,”
says Brouns.
“But as long as I’ve been here, such things will never be mandatory.”
Since the 15th century, Halle’s Carnival has been an integral aspect of the city’s identity. The Carnival takes place each year during 3 days before Ash Wednesday and attracts thousands of visitors to the city, growing over time to be one of Belgium’s most popular carnivals.
The Carnival is characterised by its music, costumes, and the Gilles tossing oranges to the crowd, which began in the 19th century. Over the past several years, the city has actively worked to ensure a more sustainable celebration. Only biodegradable confetti and reusable cups have been allowed at the Carnival since 2019.
