Brussels Waste Collection Disrupted by National Strike
A national strike on Friday, October 9, caused major disruptions to waste collection across Brussels, leaving rubbish bags on sidewalks and forcing several recycling centers to close.
The regional waste agency, Bruxelles-Propreté, reported that collection services were heavily affected in several municipalities. Further disruptions are possible on Monday, October 12, as another national strike is scheduled.
Which Brussels Areas Were Hit Hardest?
White household waste bags were particularly affected. In Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, around 98% of scheduled collections were missed. The figure reached 90% in Koekelberg and 70% in both Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.
Around 60% of collections were disrupted in Molenbeek and Schaerbeek. The impact was more limited in Haren, where 15% of scheduled collections did not take place.
Some orange bags containing organic waste were also left uncollected.
Bruxelles-Propreté plans to organize catch-up collections from Monday, depending on available staff and resources. However, returning to normal service could take several days.
Recycling Centers Also Affected
Four Recypark recycling centers were closed during Friday’s strike. Only the Buda and Demets sites remained open to the public, while the centers in Auderghem, Humanité, South Brussels and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre were closed.
Most glass collection, bulky waste collection and illegal dumping cleanup services continued as planned. However, six of the agency’s 25 mechanized collection routes serving businesses and buildings could not be guaranteed.
What Should Residents Do?
Bruxelles-Propreté had asked residents not to put out yellow and blue recycling bags during the strike period to prevent additional disruption.
Households that placed these bags outside despite the warning have been asked to bring them back indoors until the next scheduled collection.
With another national strike planned for Monday, October 12, residents should expect possible delays and check official waste collection updates before putting their rubbish out.
The agency warns that clearing the backlog and restoring normal collections may take several days.
