Unrest due to possible price increase for household waste collection

That would cost the cities and municipalities hundreds of thousands of euros extra per year. But they are already making extra money for energy costs and higher wages. They do not want to burden their residents even more: they ask Imog for other solutions.

A small municipality like Kuurne, for example, pays 1.3 million euros every year. The price increase would add another 700,000 euros until 2024. ‘We can’t afford that,’ says the mayor of Kuurne, Francis Benoit. ‘Alternatives must be sought.’ According to mayor Marc Doutreluingne of Zwevegem, Imog still has a margin. ‘They have reserves, which are normally not intended to absorb such things. But in exceptional times one has to look for exceptional solutions.’

Another solution to save is to organize the collection round only every two weeks. Or perhaps to organize the collection yourself. ‘If we do it again ourselves, maybe it will be cheaper’, says Tijs Naert, alderman for sustainability in Harelbeke. ‘Because society becomes unaffordable and then we have to be creative to see what we can do. And that exercise is now requested.’

At Imog, nobody wants to respond in front of the camera. In a short text message it sounds like this: ‘The concern of the mayors is also our concern. Together we will look for solutions, as always.’