Brussels-City hands out €1 million in fines for illegal dumping

The City of Brussels handed out almost €1 million in fines last year for illegal dumping, as authorities stepped up efforts to tackle waste left on streets and in public spaces.

According to new figures, more than 7,000 fines were issued in 2025 for clandestine waste deposits, ranging from abandoned household rubbish to construction debris.

City officials said the crackdown was part of a broader strategy combining surveillance, enforcement and direct contact with residents.

“Officers make a stronger impression and have effective methods, in addition to their camera policy,” said Anas Ben Abdelmoumen, Brussels alderman for cleanliness.

“They also speak to residents and sometimes literally dig for information in the trash.”

Illegal dumping remains a costly issue for the city, with waste processing and clean-up estimated at about €2 million per year.

Ben Abdelmoumen said the aim was to discourage residents from bypassing legal disposal systems, especially since Brussels provides free waste collection options.

“Waste processing is expensive,” he said. “Anyone who chooses not to use the city's free waste processing options, but does choose to illegally dump, will think twice.”

The city argues that fines are not only punitive but also necessary to ensure those responsible cover the cost of cleaning up.

"These taxes therefore serve not only to fund the municipal budget, but also to make polluters pay for cleaning up the waste they have caused and to deter them from littering again," Ben Abdelmoumen said.

Authorities have increasingly relied on camera surveillance and investigations to identify offenders, particularly in neighbourhoods where dumping is recurrent.