Cleanliness: regional brigades and immediate fine collection

RPD commitments

The Regional Policy Declaration of 13 February 2026 devotes a chapter to public cleanliness, identified as a major citizen concern.

Agency reform

• Reform of the Brussels Cleanliness Agency (ABP) — reorganisation of collection and improved working conditions

Collection infrastructure

• Underground containers and compactors — deployment in high-density neighbourhoods
• Special rapid intervention unit for "Cleanliness"

Cleanliness brigades

• Creation of regional cleanliness brigades — coordinated regional and municipal agents
• Deployment of smart cameras in areas at risk of illegal dumping

Sanctions

• Immediate fine collection for observed offences
• Combating illegal waste importation from other regions

Illegal dumping: "waste tourism" (2025)

Data from the City of Brussels reveals the scale of the illegal dumping phenomenon:

• 7,731 fines issued in 2025, up 61% compared to 2024
• 36.7% of offenders are non-residents (2,837 out of 7,731) — the so-called "waste tourism" phenomenon, driven by the price of rubbish bags being ten times lower in Brussels than in surrounding municipalities
• Total fines amount: approximately EUR 12 million in 2025

The Region plans to deploy underground containers in high-density neighbourhoods and to reinforce enforcement through smart cameras, in line with the RPD commitments.

Nitrous oxide: 2025 operational data

Bruxelles-Propreté collected 75 tonnes of nitrous oxide cylinders in 2025, of which over 50 tonnes came from clandestine dumps. The total cost of safety and treatment measures amounts to €12 million, of which €9 million is a direct charge on the agency's budget.

A shredder installed since June 2025 enables cylinders to be neutralised before incineration. Incinerator explosions decreased by 37% (from 797 to approximately 500) and operational shutdowns by 29% (from 35 to 25 per year).

Since March 2024, a royal decree prohibits the sale and possession of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes. However, Bruxelles-Propreté considers the legislation insufficient, as it relies on buyers' oral declarations.

Extended Producer Responsibility: €51.4M/year (13 March 2026)

The Brussels Parliament approved on 13 March 2026 the ordinance transposing the inter-regional cooperation agreement on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for single-use plastics (EU SUP Directive). Producers (packaging industry and tobacco sector) will pay €51.4 million per year to the Brussels Region (€26.7M from 2026), of which:

• 54% to municipalities for funding litter clean-up
• 46% to the Region for regional cleanliness policies

Covered products include disposable plastics, cans, cigarette packaging and filters, wet wipes, balloons, and chewing gum. The agreement provides for the possibility of extending EPR to new waste streams (furniture, textiles, disposable nappies).

This ordinance, expected since the 2020 SUP Directive, was adopted with PVDA and Vlaams Belang abstaining. The Flemish Parliament has yet to approve the text.

Source: BRUZZ, 13 March 2026.

Deliberative Committee on Cleanliness

On 23 January 2026, the Brussels Parliament voted to create a 7th deliberative committee on public cleanliness. Forty-five randomly selected citizens and fifteen MPs will formulate recommendations on waste management and urban cleanliness. It is the first committee of the new legislature.

Source: Brussels Parliament, January 2026.

Bruxelles-Propreté strike: 18-20 March 2026

Bruxelles-Propreté has announced a three-day strike from Wednesday 18 to Friday 20 March 2026 inclusive. During this period, only white bags (residual waste), orange bags (PMC) and green bags (organic waste) will be collected. Blue bags (paper-cardboard) and yellow bags (glass) left out despite the instructions will remain on pavements until the following week.

Priority is given to waste posing a health risk (organic and residual).

Day 1 update (18 March): disruptions were limited, with 80% of staff active. White and orange bags were collected at 100%. Blue and yellow bags remained on pavements. Recycling centres (recyparcs) were closed (except Humanité). In Ganshoren, mobile recycling park events scheduled for 18-20 March were cancelled. Day 2 update (19 March): more significant disruptions — 38% of trucks remained at the depot (62% of rounds completed). The neighbourhoods of the City of Brussels (Canal, Louise), Forest, Ixelles and Saint-Gilles were most affected. The Humanité recycling centre remained closed.

Sources: BX1, RTBF, La Libre (16 March 2026), BRUZZ (18-19 March 2026).

Waste collection reform (19 March 2026)

The Secretary of State for Public Cleanliness announced on 19 March 2026 a major reform of household waste collection:

Frequency changes:

• Yellow bags (paper-cardboard): from weekly to biweekly collection
• White bags (residual waste): removal of the second weekly collection in 11 municipalities (Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Evere, Jette, Ganshoren, Koekelberg, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, part of City of Brussels)
• Organic waste: strengthening of biweekly collection in dense neighbourhoods

Bulky waste — differentiated strategy:

• Dense neighbourhoods: underground containers + collective sorting spaces
• Less dense areas: door-to-door collection maintained
• 100 new sorting spaces in the short term

Orange bags (organic waste): reinforced collection in dense neighbourhoods — switching to biweekly frequency.

Budget: EUR 315 million (vs EUR 313M in 2025) + EUR 28 million dedicated to the Midi station (security + cleanliness).

Staff impact:

• 65 workers reassignable thanks to route rationalisation
• 180 anticipated departures in 2026 (of which 165 in operational roles)
• 250+ vacancies in 2026
• Without a hiring exemption: risk of losing one third of door-to-door routes, closure of all 6 regional Recyparks and discontinuation of container collection for high-rise housing (including social housing)

Timeline: implementation not before 2027, possibly 2028. The Secretary of State has requested a hiring exemption to fill 2026 vacancies.

Sources: L'Avenir, La Libre, RTBF, BX1 (19 March 2026).

Sources and methodology

The commitments documented above come from the official text of the RPD (chapter 10) and from concordant press sources covering the government agreement of 12 February 2026. Nitrous oxide operational data comes from the official Bruxelles-Propreté communiqué of 10 February 2026 and the BX1 report of 17 February 2026.