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Fines for flouting binbag rules in Brussels soon
Local residents in Brussels, who put out their refuse bags outside permitted hours can expect a fine from 1 October.
People in Brussels have been given a couple of months to get used to the new collection calendar, but that period will soon be over. Refuse collection agency Net Brussel intends to continue efforts to raise awareness and warn of the consequences for another two months, but from 1 October, inspectors will also issue fines to people who put their rubbish bags on the street outside official hours.
Fines will start at 50 to 100 euros but could reach several thousand euros. Glass not sorted can lead to a 150 euro- fine, while for electrical items this rises to 300 euros.
Sorting
Fines will be issued not only when people put out their rubbish outside official hours, but also when food scraps are not properly sorted. These now have to be put into an orange refuse bag. It has long been forbidden to put paper, PMD waste and glass in the white bag.
In May, Net Brussels introduced a new collection schedule. The new collection calendar is not felt as an improvement by everybody. In some neighbourhoods, you only have two hours in which you can put out your rubbish, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. In these neighbourhoods, the next day, many refuse bags can still be seen on the street.
"The best balance"
Refuse agency Net Brussel acknowledges that the two-hour rule can be tricky but stresses the need. "This is the best balance," spokesman Adel Lassouli told Brussels media outlet Bruzz. Municipalities are not allowing waste to be put out before this time to avoid “visual pollution”. Putting out waste after 10pm means binmen would have to work late into the night to collect refuse and that could cause noise pollution.
Since Net Brussels adjusted its collection calendar in early May, some local residents have noticed that streets are often dirtier than before. Especially in boroughs and neighbourhoods where you only have two hours in the evening to put out your rubbish, you notice that there are often still rubbish bags on the streets the following day. Net Brussel understands that this two-hour rule is inconvenient for some but stresses the need for it so as not to avoid nighttime collections and the accompanying noise.
