Illegal dumping - Awareness campaign

Bruxelles-Propreté and Fost Plus will prosecute illegal dumping offenders

Bruxelles-Propreté and Fost Plus are keen to raise citizens’ awareness of illegal dumping. So they will set up an initiative drawing on behavioural science. The aim of this initiative is to identify illegal dump sites, in order to demonstrate the work of the cleaning services and to educate people about the illegal nature of the dump sites.

Why is this awareness campaign needed?

The health crisis has had a major impact on unacceptable behaviour, in terms of illegal dumping in Brussels. In 2020, the Bruxelles-Propreté teams collected over 2,868 tonnes of illegally dumped material (more than 1 m³ and chemical waste), which was 32% more than in 2019. In 2021, we saw a slight decrease, with 2,574.8 tonnes. One could also add the number of illegal dump sites removed by the municipal services. Illegal dumping remains a constant problem and is seen all over Brussels.

Alain Maron, Brussels Minister for public cleanliness, commented: “Illegal dumping is very harmful to the people who live there, but also to the environment. Today, the streets should no longer be viewed as a dumping ground. This is why we’re boosting the fight against illegal dumping in the Brussels Region through a range of visible and concrete measures in the public space. The objective is to create a deterrent effect, so that together we can make Brussels cleaner and more attractive, for the well-being of the people of Brussels and the climate.”