Additional checks on illegal dumping against litter

About 1,000 fines were issued during the previous campaign, but illegal dumping is still increasing almost everywhere. The governor advocates structural solutions such as the introduction of a deposit.

“Everything is dumped in garbage bins”

The city services of Veurne were busy early in the morning. Residents are particularly annoyed by the overflowing public garbage bins and the dirt that piles up around them.

“You will mainly find household waste here,” says Andy Deburchgraeve of the city services in Veurne. “Look, they put everything in bags. That’s the problem here in the garbage bins. People benefit. They don’t buy garbage bags anymore and everything gets dumped in here, right.”

Veurne has already issued 147 gas fines this year, most of them for throwing away cigarette butts. Almost 60% of illegal dumping involves the dumping of green waste and wood.

Mayor of Veurne Peter Roose: “A gas fine costs €70 for the first offense and can increase to €250 for repeat offenses.”

Extra inspectors on the road

But despite all the campaigns, illegal dumping is increasing almost everywhere. This week, extra inspectors will be sent out to catch illegal dumpers.

Governor Carl Decaluwé: “Last year during the Enforcement Week in West Flanders, we handed out more than 1,000 gas fines. That is quite a lot. But anyway, it is apparently insufficient. What intrigues me is that 85% of people say “Litter bothers us.” But people forget to say that they themselves are often the cause of it.”

Deposit

Both the mayor and the governor advocate a deposit system. But somehow that doesn’t happen to us.

Mayor Peter Roose: “I think the interest groups are too large to switch to a new system. It turns out that it works abroad. So why wouldn’t it be possible to use that system in a small country like Flanders? to enter?”