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New waste collection rules: Fines for putting bags out on wrong day from 1 October
Brussels residents who put their rubbish bags out on the wrong day, after the introduction of new rules on waste collections since mid-May, can expect to be fined from 1 October.
Municipalities in the Belgian capital implemented new rubbish rules earlier this summer in order to adhere to EU standards that will come into effect later, and the grace period is coming to a close.
Fines for having bags on the curb on the wrong day will start at €50 to €100, but could reach several thousand euros for repeat offenders.
Glass not sorted can be fined €150 and electrical items wrongly disposed of in the regular household waste bag could attract a €300 fine.
Brussels residents were given a few months to get used to the new pick-up calendar, but collection service Bruxelles Propreté will continue to raise awareness for at least another two months.
Fines will not only be imposed on people who take out the rubbish outside official times, but also when food scraps are not properly sorted into the proper orange bags.
The recently introduced schedule includes fewer pick-up days for some communes because less waste is expected as a result of the new orange bags for food waste.
The change has not been without issues. In certain neighbourhoods, residents have just a two-hour window to take out the rubbish, between 18.00 and 20.00. Bags of waste have piled up on some streets as a result.
But while acknowledging that the two-hour window can be tricky, Bruxelles Propreté said this was "the best balance", according to spokesperson Adel Lassouli.
Lassouli explained that taking out rubbish before that time is not allowed by the municipalities because it is unsightly. But putting out waste after 22.00 would mean that the collection services are busy until late into the night, which would cause noise pollution.
Rubbish collectors have also protested against the change, saying that fewer collection windows will result in having to handle larger quantities of waste at a time.
Comments
Bottom line is:
the more rules they create to justify their salaries, the more problems they create.
- 2 hour window:
Be there like a good soldier or be fined!
- Strict times and days:
Can't go on a business trip, eat your garbage or be fined,
Can't take the garbage today in order to go to the hospital tomorrow because tomorrow is collection day
Can't leave for vacation when you can unless is right after collection day and time. Otherwise, pay the fine or pay your neighbor to do the garbage in instead of you.
Can't be old and God-forbid forget to adhere to time&day windows, you have to pay the fine and cut rations in half for the next couple of weeks.
Is this our high-tech, super-scientific, go-to-mars, free-er, healthier, egalitarian, more-humane 21st century society?
No ladies and gentlemen, this is a failure of legal, societal and institutional systems, all on the citizens' expense, especially those who face financial, physical and mental challenges!
No problem with this. It doesn’t matter what day or time they choose to collect, someone won’t be happy with it. The majority of people are ok with the new system and don’t have a problem with it. But you still see some stupid mistakes from people. My only concern with the fines, is, how do you prove who’s sack it is?
People just walk up the street and leave it outside someone else’s property!!!