Starting 23 March, garden waste in Brussels will be collected from homes every two weeks on the current scheduled day, according to an announcement by Bruxelles-Propreté on Monday.
The change is attributed to operational factors and aims to better align with residents' habits for disposing of garden waste.
Since 2023, when sorting food waste became mandatory, the amount of bio-waste collected in Brussels has steadily increased. The agency reported that collected volumes rose from 17,800 tonnes in 2022 to 26,300 tonnes in 2023, reaching 31,700 tonnes in 2024.
To address environmental concerns, Bruxelles-Propreté adopted a mixed collection system for garden and food waste in July 2024, covering 66% of the city. This aims to reduce the carbon footprint of waste collection vehicles.
Despite these benefits, combining waste streams has led to logistical challenges, prompting the agency to adjust collection frequency for garden waste.
Bruxelles Propreté
Initially, waste treatment plants accepted the mixed waste model. However, stricter standards emerged following the European mandate for food waste sorting, which came into effect in January 2024 in Wallonia and Flanders.
As a result, biogas plants nationwide are nearing saturation, making it increasingly difficult for mixed waste from Brussels to meet acceptance criteria.
Residents needing more frequent disposal options can still turn to Recycling Park centres, which will continue operating as usual. Bruxelles-Propreté will launch an information campaign to inform the public about the changes.
