Ninove (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Alderman Werner Somers of Forza Ninove advocates for weekly waste collection in Ninove to tackle summer odours, facing opposition from lIvA and the current waste collector.
Alderman Werner Somers from Forza Ninove is worried about the current schedule for collecting residual waste in Ninove, especially in summer. He noted that the waste often has organic materials like chopped bones and mussel shells.
In warm weather, these items start to rot and smell bad. This situation makes life harder for residents. To solve this problem, Somers suggested that residual waste should be collected every week instead of less often. This change would help reduce bad odours and hygiene issues from waste sitting for too long.
“We see that residual waste often contains organic materials, such as chop bones or mussel shells,”
Explains Alderman Werner Somers (Forza Ninove).
“After a while, it starts to stink, especially in the summer. That’s why it would be better if residual waste were collected every week.”
What challenges does Ninove face in changing its waste collection schedule with IlvA?
The waste collection in Ninove is managed by IlvA. This is a group that works with 15 municipalities in the Denderstreek and parts of Flemish Brabant. IlvA uses a shared schedule for all the towns it serves. This means that if Ninove wants to collect waste weekly, it will need a lot of planning. Somers mentioned that Ninove must agree with the other towns in IlvA’s system.
The city will also look into whether IlvA can make a special rule for Ninove and what conditions would allow this change. They will check the costs, how it will work, and the challenges of changing the waste collection schedule. Somers mentioned that this proposal shows that there is a need for better waste management plans that fit the needs of the seasons and local areas.
The waste collector does not support the idea of changing the waste collection schedule for Ninove. They believe that Ninove is similar to cities like Aalst and Zottegem. In these cities, there are not many waste problems.
The collector points out that people who live in the countryside and those in apartments have big enough containers for their waste. These containers do not fill up every week. Because of this, the collector thinks that Ninove does not need to change how often waste is collected. They feel that the current schedule works well for everyone.
What are the main factors contributing to odour issues in Ninove’s waste management system?
According to Verraes, leftover waste is not the main cause of bad smells in Ninove. He explained that vegetable, fruit, and garden waste, known as GFT, creates more odours because it breaks down quickly and can attract pests like maggots, especially in warm weather.
GFT is collected every week, which helps reduce the buildup of this type of waste and the smells or pests that come with it. He mentioned that the current waste management system is good at handling the waste that causes the most odour problems. Verraes pointed out that focusing on collecting leftover waste more often might not solve the main issues residents are worried about since this type of waste usually has fewer smelly materials.
Alderman Werner Somers is determined to find better waste collection options for the community. He warned that if IlvA does not agree to Ninove’s request for weekly collection of leftover waste, the city might think about leaving the inter-municipal waste management association. Somers hopes it does not come to this, but he said Ninove is ready to explore all options to meet the needs of its residents.
According to Somers, leaving IlvA would be a big step because this organization manages waste collection for 15 municipalities in the Denderstreek and Flemish Brabant areas. Such a decision would bring logistical and financial issues, but the city is serious about improving the quality of life for its residents, even if it means finding a new way to handle waste.
