Almost one-fifth of the illegal waste dumps fined last year in Brussels were left by individuals who did not live in the capital, according to the city’s Public Cleanliness councillor on Saturday.
The “exported” waste mainly came from the Flemish periphery, with Grimbergen leading the list.
Last year, Brussels City sanctioned 4,802 illegal waste dumps. Of these, 1,520 were attributed to non-residents. More than half involved individuals from the surrounding periphery and even further.
The top five municipalities of origin for these illegal dumpers are all in Flemish Brabant: Grimbergen, Asse, Machelen, Wemmel, and Vilvoorde. The remaining top ten are also in Flanders, said the office of councillor Anas Ben Abdelmoumen.
“Even residents from Mechelen and Antwerp don’t hesitate to travel several dozen kilometres to illegally dispose of their old sofas, furniture, and other bulky waste in Brussels,” highlighted the City of Brussels.
Surveillance cameras and thorough work by the Public Cleanliness Department help identify the offenders. Fines range from a few hundred to several thousand, and in some cases tens of thousands, of euros, depending on the amount of waste dumped.
“Brussels is not a dump!” declared socialist councillor for Public Cleanliness Anas Ben Abdelmoumen. He promises a policy of “zero tolerance” and increased surveillance, as the capital often suffers from a reputation of being a dirty city.
