The introduction of the orange bin bag obligation for organic waste, which was due to come into force at the start of next month, has been postponed for households.
Despite there being a specific bag for this type of waste, food waste still accounts for about 40% of the weight of the white bags, intended for non-recyclable residual waste.
To reduce the number of these bags (and thereby lower emissions and allow more energy to be generated by biomethane) the Brussels government announced it would make orange bags for food waste mandatory across the region from 1 May.
However, this measure will now come into effect two weeks later, according to the City of Brussels website. "The orange bag is mandatory from 1 May for governments and businesses and from 15 May for households," the website read.
This news was confirmed to Bruzz by Net Brussels, the body responsible for waste collection and street cleaning in the region. The region's authorities will reportedly only start checking whether households are following the new rules in September.
Other changes
The start day has been delayed to coincide with the night-time waste collection coming into effect, which will see some waste in the region being collected overnight, between 20:00 and 02:00. To this end, a new calendar will be introduced that will inform when residents should take out their waste.
As part of the orange bag obligation, the city will provide people with a container for their filled orange bin bags for free to avoid them from being torn open by animals when left out, for example.
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As previously announced, the collection of the white rubbish bags will only take place once a week from May onwards in the Brussels municipalities of Haren and Neder-Over-Heembeek.
Finally, all plastic packaging waste must also be put in the blue bag from May. While this was already allowed, it will become mandatory from then on.
