Brussels residents are gradually adjusting to a new garden waste collection system introduced by regional agency Brussels Cleanliness at the end of March.
Since 23 March, green bags and bundled branches are collected every other week instead of weekly, while keeping the usual collection days.
Two weeks into the rollout, the agency says the transition is largely underway, despite some initial confusion. Around 5,700 green bags were found to be incorrectly placed in the streets, a figure Brussels Cleanliness considers limited given the scale of the reform. According to the agency, errors are already decreasing as residents adapt to the new rhythm.
Optimising waste management
The change is part of a broader effort to optimise waste management across the Brussels-Capital Region. By reducing the number of collection rounds, authorities aim to cut down on lorry traffic, lower carbon emissions and improve the use of staff and resources. Garden waste collected in Brussels is then processed through composting or biomethanisation.
To support the transition, a large-scale communication campaign has been carried out in recent weeks. Nearly 582,000 letters were distributed to households, alongside posters, radio spots and digital messages. An online calendar - accessed nearly 90,000 times since early March - allows residents to check their specific collection schedule.
On the ground, a team of around 15 awareness officers has also been deployed across the region for an eight-week period. Their role is to identify mistakes, inform residents and encourage compliance with the new rules, particularly in greener neighbourhoods where garden waste is more common.
