Reforms to clean up the streets and with changes to the Brussels bin collections may be on their way, as Brussels regional minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) is getting ready to present his bin collection reform proposal to the public, L'Echo reported.
The reform will introduce requirements on how food waste is sorted. Currently, bin bags are often ripped up by animals and collected late, while many residents are increasingly ignoring the waste collection rules. One key element is limiting the presence of bin bags on the street. To this end, the proposal includes having white bags collected once a week instead of twice a week.
Changes would be incremental, with some municipalities in the suburbs taking part in a test phase.
A recent audit by the Berenschot public sector consultancy on the staff of Brussels Cleaning recommended reducing the regularity of bin collections, based on surveys of several European cities. Moreover, a European requirement to collect organic waste separately could have an impact on how bins are collected.
Bin reform needed
There was no opposition to a weekly collection of organic waster in a letter from the Brussels Mayors to Minister Maron in July. However, a series of requests were made to ensure that the reform is presented as an improvement to urban cleanliness to avoid being seen as a cut to municipal services
"There will be very little left in the white bag. We'll just have to find storage solutions for people who have very small homes," said Deborah Lorenzino (DéFI), counsellor for public cleanliness in Schaerbeek.
For many, improvements cannot come fast enough. "The waste left on the ground because of stale bags is very rarely collected; badly sorted bags are left on the ground and people end up complaining about it to the municipality. This creates considerable additional work on collection days," said Uccle councillor Carine Gol-Lescot (MR).
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Further reforms proposed include limiting the presence of rubbish bags on the streets by collecting all bags on the same day. Other proposals include: underground containers, clearer communication with residents, and reducing the time between bin bags being taken out and when they are collected.
Much will depend on the operational capacity of the Brussels Cleanliness Agency. Maron has stressed that limiting the presence of bin bags on the street is key.
