The municipality of Ixelles and the Brussels Regional Agency for Cleanliness are launching a major clean-up operation in the Matongé district on Thursday, 9 October, as part of a month-long campaign to tackle litter and improperly discarded rubbish bags.
The initiative targets the frequent dumping of rubbish bags outside designated collection days, an issue which has led to unsightly piles of waste. “The problem starts with rubbish bags being put out at all times, unrelated to collection days,” says Geoffroy Kensier, Ixelles councillor for public cleanliness. “By Thursday afternoon, the neighbourhood will be spotless. We’ll then warn residents, and after that, enforce penalties like never before.”
The first phase, called ‘Operation Flash,’ aims to restore cleanliness across the area between the Chaussée d’Ixelles and Rue du Trône, including Chaussée de Wavre and nearby streets. A large team of workers, supported by specialised vehicles such as street sweepers, pressure washers, and garbage trucks, will be deployed to address pavements, bins, and illegal dumps.
This will be followed by the ‘Cleanliness Triathlon’ from 10 October to 5 November, which combines awareness-raising, reporting violations, and issuing fines. Signs will remind residents of rubbish collection days, and stickers will be placed on bags left out at the wrong times. Offenders will face penalties.
Another clean-up operation is scheduled to take place on 6 November.
Describing the situation in Matonge as “unacceptable,”Kensier emphasised that “Matongé cannot be synonymous with filth and impunity!”
He commended the strong cooperation between municipal services and Brussels Cleanliness, adding: “The poor state of cleanliness in this district is not an inevitability.”
