Sorting and recycling your waste

While the 2% of incorrectly sorted waste in paper and cardboard may seem small, it nevertheless represents almost 1,000 tonnes of incorrectly sorted waste per year.

What?

Sorting your paper and cardboard

Washing powder box

Boîtes de poudre à lessiver

Paper bags

Cereal box

Newspapers, magazines and leaflets

Books

Empty roll

Stationery and printing paper

Paper bags

Cardboard boxes

Where?

Where can you place your paper and cardboard waste?

  • In the yellow bag
  • In the yellow container (apartment buildings).
    Paper and cardboard items must be placed loose in the container.
  • In our Recypark
    • Free up to 3m3 per visit and per day
    • €121 incl. VAT above 3 m3

To transport your professional waste to the Recypark, your company must be registered with Bruxelles Environnement  as a waste carrier.

How?

A few rules

  • Your paper and cardboard items must be clean and dry.
  • Any cardboard item that does not fit into the yellow bag must be folded and firmly tied.
  • Newspapers can be piled. They must then be tied.
  • Do not throw away advertising leaflets and magazines with their plastic wrapping (throw the wrapping in th blue bag or in the blue container).
  • Your bag may not exceed 15 kg.

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

In 2009, the PMD collected still contained 60% of poorly sorted waste. Today, this figure has been reduced to 27% thanks to our mutual commitment to better sorting. In 2021, the blue bag became the New Blue Bag. From now on, almost all plastic packaging can be placed in the blue bag.

What?

What constitutes PMD?

Plastic packaging (P)

Lemonade, water, milk, juices,yogurts, bath products, liquid cleaning products, trays and raviers, jars and tubes, bags and small bags, films, flower pots, etc.

Metal packaging (M) 

Cans, tins, metallic lids and caps from glass jars and bottles, boxes and containers, aluminium dishes, punnets and trays, food and cosmetics aerosols, deodorants,etc.

Drink cartons (D)

Fruit juices, soup, milk, cream,etc;

Where?

Where can you place your PMD ?

  • In the blue bag
  • In the blue container (apartment buildings).
    PMD must be placed loose in the container.
  • In our Recypark
    • Free up to 3m3 per visit and per day
    • €121 incl. VAT above 3 m3

How?

A few rules

Do not nest packaging in each other and do not put it together in knotted bags.

Do not hang anything on the outside of the bag.

To deposit

  • Household PMD packaging with a volume 8 liters≤ 8l
  • Well emptied, drained or scraped
  • Flattened and closed with their cap
  • Remove the plastic film from the tray and discard both separately in the bag

Not to deposit

  • Packaging holding more than 8l
  • Packaging with childproof caps
  • Packaging with at least one of the following pictograms :

    Pictogramme déchet chimique attention dangereux pour la santé
    Hazardous to health - long term
    Toxic
    Toxic
  • Motor oil and pesticide packaging, silicone tubes
  • Expanded polystyrene
  • Packaging made of a combination of materials (e.g. plastic film layer + aluminium film layer) which cannot be separated, like some drink, fruit purée or wet pet food pouches etc.

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...).

Food waste represents about 40% of your white bag. Sorting them allows for green energy recovery and production of compost. Find here all the information on the sorting of food waste in the Brussels Region.

What?

What do we call food waste ?

Food leftovers (including meat and fish)

Vegetables and fruit peelings

Coffee grounds

Tea bags (paper only)

Paper towels (used only to absorb food residues)

Handkerchiefs ans paper napkins

Expired food (without packaging)

Where?

Where to put your food waste ?

  • In the orange bag
  • In the orange container
    • The container is provided free of charge and must be used for the food waste collections to avoid the orange bag being torn apart by animals.
    • It preserves the cleanliness of the public space.
    • Please take it back inside as soon as you can after the collection has happened

The households can obtain a free orange container from one of our Recyparks and from their local authority.

MUNICIPALITIES

Anderlecht

Address: Rue de Weeweyde, 100, 1070 Anderlecht.
Openings hours: from Monday to Friday between 8 am and 3 pm.

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Brussels City - Public Hygiene Service

Address: Quai de la Voirie, 1 à 1000 Bruxelles 
Opening hours :
- Tuesday from 9 am to 12 pm 
- Thursday from 12 pm to 4 pm 
Residents must present their identity card

You are requested to notify your arrival at:

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Etterbeek

Address: Rue Gray, 7 - 1040 Ettebeek
Opening hours:
- Tuesday from 4 pm tot 6.45 pm
- or by appointment all other days of the week between 9:30 am and 10:30 am and 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm except on Tuesday afternoons between 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm
Phone: 0800/25.755

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Evere

Address: Square Servaes Hoedemaekers, 10 - 1140 Evere
Opening hours:
- From Monday to Friday between 8 am and 12pm
- Tuesday also between 4 pm and 7.30 pm

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Forest

Address: Chaussée de Bruxelles, 112 - 1190 Forest
Opening hours:
- From Monday to Thrusday between 8 am and 3.30 pm.
- Friday between 8 am and 12 am.
Phone: 0800.95.333 or 02 370 26 65

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Ganshoren - Waste disposal centre

Address: Avenue du Cimetière, 22 - 1083 Ganshoren 
Opening hours : 
- Wednesday and Saturday from 8 am to 11.45 am and from 12.30 pm to 2.45 pm 
- Saturday from 8am to 2pm 
Phone: 02 465 12 77

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Ixelles

By appointment: call 0800 85 150 or 02 515 68 68
You can collect your container at Rue Vandenbroeck, 56-58 - 1050 Ixelles (ring the intercom)
Phone: 0800 85 150 

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Jette

- home delivery  
- possibility to collect it Chaussée de Wemmel 100, 1090 Jette
Phone: 02 423 13 17

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Koekelberg

Address : Place Henri Vanhuffel, 6-1081 Koekelberg
Opening hours:
- from Monday to Friday between 8 am and 12pm
- or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 1.30pm to 4.45pm

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Molenbeek

Address: Rue des Quatre-Vents, 73-75 - 1080 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean 
To be collected every day between 9 am and 3 pm 
Preferably by appointment but without obligation: 
- by telephone on 0800 99 343 
- by e-mail to propretepublique1080@molenbeek.irisnet.be

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Saint-Gilles

Public proprety service - Chaussée de Forest 63, 1060 Saint-Gilles
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 8am to 3.30pm and Friday from 8am to noon.
N° 0800 97 613

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Saint-Josse

Container park - Rue de la Cible 18-20, 1210 Saint-Josse
Opening hours: Monday from 11am to 6pm (closed from 1pm to 2pm)

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Schaerbeek

Address : Avenue Georges Rodenbach, 29
Opening hours : From Monday to Friday between 8 am and 12 pm. 
Residents must present their identity card 
Phone: 0800 939 88

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Uccle

Address: rue de Stalle, 160 - 1180 Uccle
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 11.30am and 12.30pm to 3pm.
Residents must present their identity card
Phone: 02 605 16 60

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Watermael-Boitsfort 

Address: Place Antoine Gilson, 1 - 1170 Watermael-Boitsfort
Opening hours:
- wednesday from 2 pm to 4 pm
- friday from 2 pm to 4 pm
Phone: 02 674 74 78

Please note: Orange containers will only be distributed on Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:00 pm during July and August.

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

Address: Chaussée de Stockel, 80 in 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert on the 1st floor 
Opening hours:
- Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 4.30 pm
Phone: 02 761 28 24

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

Woluwe-Saint-Pierre

Address: Avenue Charles Thielemans, 93 in 1150 Woluwe-Saint-Pierre
Opening hours:
 - Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 1 pm
 - on Wednesday also from 2 pm to 4 pm
 - on Thursday, there is an additional service from 4pm to 7pm  
Distribution during events: the municipality informs on their website, Facebook and the Wollumag
Phone: 02/773 06 12 

Orange containers are distributed to residents of the municipality only.

 

RECYPARK

Recypark Humanité

Boulevard de l’Humanité 350
1190 Forest

Recypark Sud 

Boulevard de la Deuxième Armée Britannique 676 (en face du 671)
1190 Forest

Recypark Nord

Rue du Rupel
(près du pont Van Praet, le long du canal)
1000 Bruxelles

Recypark Auderghem

Address: 1860 Chaussée de Wavre - 1160 Auderghem (after the Soignes Forest Sports Centre)

Opening hours Auderghem:

  • Sunday: from 2.00 PM to 8.15 PM
  • Monday: from 2.00 PM to 8.15 PM
  • Tuesday: from 9.00 AM to 8.15 PM
  • Wednesday: from 9.00 AM to 8.15 PM
  • Thursday: from 9.00 AM to 4.15 PM
  • Friday: from 9.00 AM to 4.15 PM
  • Saturday: from 9.00 AM to 4.15 PM

Only available to residents of AuderghemIxelles, Etterbeek, or Watermael-Boitsfort

Recypark Woluwe

Address: Val des Seigneurs, 146 - 1150 Bruxelles

Opening hours Woluwe-Saint-Pierre

  • Sunday: Closed
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: from 9.00 AM to 6.15 PM
  • Wednesday: from 9.00 AM to 6.15 PM
  • Thursday: from 9.00 AM to 3.45 PM
  • Friday: from 9.00 AM to 3.45 PM
  • Saturday: from 9.00 AM to 3.45 PM

Only available to residents of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

How?

Some rules to abide by

Do not put in your orange bag or container :

  • Bones, carcasses, bones

  • Eggshells, walnut shells, oyster shells, mussel shells...

  • Pits

  • Garden waste

  • Litter, even biodegradable

  • Wood ashes

  • Nappies

  • Compostable/biodegradable packaging packaging

  • Liquid food waste (sauces, oils, leftover soup...)

Other

Alternatives

Alternatives exist to recover your food waste.

Please visit our website - dedicated to this purpose.

 

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

Since Monday, June 8, 2020, the Bruxelles-Propreté teams will only collect the regulatory biodegradable green bags.

What?

What constitutes garden waste?

Branches

Dead leaves

Withered flowers

Weeds

Plants

Hedge and shrubs trimmings

Grass cuttings

The following is not considered garden waste: soil, sand, animal waste, stones, gravel, canvas, fences, posts, cement or plastic hedging, slabs, tree stumps and trunks..

Where?

Where can you place your garden waste ?

  • In the green bag

The branches must be tied in bundles and placed next to the bag.
(The branches must not exceed 1.50 meters in length and 8 cm in diameter)

How?

  • Only in the biodegradable “Bruxelles-Propreté” bag.
  • Branches must be tied in bundles and placed along the front of the property (natural rope, no plastic).
  • Uniquement dans le sac « Bruxelles-Propreté » biodégradable.
  • Les branchages doivent être liés en fagots et déposés le long de la façade (corde naturelle, pas de plastique).

Other

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

Find out where to put your Christmas tree after the festive season.

Where?

Where can you place your Christmas tree?

  • On the pavement, on garden waste collection day

How?

A few rules

  • Remove the pot and all the decorations.
  • You may leave the wooden stand.
  • Your artificial tree is a bulky household item.

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

What?

Sorting your glass waste

Your clear glass bottles, jars and phials*

*Clear glass can be colourless. If it's clear, you can see through.

Colourless glass

Coloured glass

Your opaque* glass bottles, jars and phials, and other glass waste items

*Opaque glass can be coloured or colourless. If it's opaque, we can't see through.

Colourless glass

Coloured glass

Where?

Where can you get rid of your glass waste?

Where can you deposit your transparent glasses?

In the botlle banks:

  • white for colourless glass
  • green for coloured glass

In our Recypark

 

In the green container (apartment buildings).

  • You can locate the bottle banks nearest to you by entering your details at this page.
  • Bring your returnable bottle back to the stop. They are worth some money.

 

Where to deposit your non-transparent glasses? Your broken glasses?

In our Recypark

 

  • Only incandescent light bulbs (traditional) and halogens can be placed in the white bag
  • Energy-saving light bulbs, fluorescent tubes (neon) and LED lights must be taken to PROXY CHIMIK or to Recypark.

How?

A few rules

  • Make sure to fully empty your bottles, glass jars and phials. No need to rinse them.
  • Place metal tops, caps and lids in the blue bag or blue container
  • Place plastic tops in the blue bag or blue container
  • Deposit your corks in our Recypark or at PROXY CHIMIK.

Please be mindful of those living near the bottle banks:

  • Throw bottles, glass jars and phials only between 7:00am and 10:00pm
  • Do not place your glass waste by the bottle banks even if they are full (more than 560 bottle banks sites are at your disposal)
  • Do not leave bags or cardboard boxes around the bottle banks

Risk of heavy fines for fly-tipping

  • Incandescent light bulbs and halogens must also be wrapped, even they are not broken.
  • Energy-saving light bulbs, fluorescent tubes (neon) and LED lights must be brought in a plastic bag to keep them separate from other waste items.

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

What?

What constitutes bulky household waste ?

Bulky household waste is waste that cannot be collected in bags because of its nature, weight or size, and which is not affixed to your home (cf. construction or renovation waste)..

Electrical and electronic appliances

Large appliances: washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, exhaust hood, oven, cooker, fridge, freezer, etc.

Small appliances: vacuum cleaner, toaster, coffee machine, hair dryer, waffle maker, mixer, etc.

Multimedia devices: computer, touch pad, computer or television screen, radio, hi-fi, GSM, etc..

Fixtures

Floor lamp, desk lamp, chandelier, lantern, etc.

Furniture and decorative furniture

Table, chairs, bed, mattress, bed frame, disassembled wardrobe, sofa, armchair, office furniture, dresser, floor lamp, chandelier, garden furniture, umbrella, etc.

Other items

Bikes, strollers, prams, ironing boards, toys, kitchen items, sport items, etc.

Where?

Where can you get rid of your bulky household waste ?

  • In our Recypark*
  • Using our home collection service for bulky household items*
  • With your reseller if you purchase electrical or electronic device of the same type
  • In their municipality's container park for people residing in Evere, Ganshoren and Saint-Josse. Find out more about the type of waste accepted in your municipality's Recypark park.

How?

How can you get rid of your bulky household waste?

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

Your electrical or electronic appliances contain harmful substances that can have a negative impact on the environment. There are a number of recycling channels for treating these harmful substances and recycling the recovered material.

What?

Some examples of electrical or electronic devices

Large appliances: washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, exhaust hood, oven, cooker, fridge, freezer, etc..

Small appliances: vacuum cleaner, toaster, coffee machine, hair dryer, waffle maker, mixer, etc..

Multimedia devices: computer, touch pad, computer or television screen, radio, hi-fi, GSM, etc..

Light bulbs and fixtures: compact fluorescent light bulbs ("energy-saving light bulbs"), fluorescent tubes ("energy-saving tubes"), LED lamps and incandescent light bulbs ("traditional light bulbs"), etc..

Lighting: Floor lamp, desk lamp, chandelier, lantern, etc..

How?

How can you get rid of your electrical and electronic devices?

If the device is reusable:

If the device is not reusable:

  • Return it to the shop (if you are buying a new device of the same type)
  • Bring it to a Recupel collection point (small electronics, bulbs, fridges)
     
  • Bring it to one of our Recypark
  • Bring to your town's Recypark if you live in Etterbeek, Evere, Ganshoren, Auderghem, Saint-Josse, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Uccle or Watermael-Boitsfort. Find out more about the type of waste accepted in your town's Recypark.
  • Contact our home collection service for bulky items*

*Download the practical details.

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

Construction and renovation waste represents a growing volume and tonnage.

What?

What constitutes construction or renovation waste?

Any item that is physically affixed to your home is usually considered construction or renovation material. It is however essential to distinguish between 2 types of waste.

Inert waste (like "rubble")

rubble, broken bricks, pebbles, bricks, stones

tiling, slabs, tilessoil

tiling, slabs, tilessoil, sandconcrete, cement

gypsum boards: scrap, sheets (type Gyproc) and plastering

Other construction and renovation waste

treated and untreated wood

doors, frames and shutters in wood, metal or plastic

gutters and pipes

floor covering

hygiene items

Where?

How can you get rid of your construction or renovation waste?

  • In our Recypark
  • In the town's containerpark for those living in  Evere, Ganshoren, Saint-Josse. Find out more about the type of waste accepted in your town's container's park..
  • Using our special home collection service

 

Our rates are listed in the Decree of the Government for the Brussels-Capital Region, which fixes the pricing for services provided by Bruxelles-Propreté (22/12/2011).

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

 

Despite a much lower collection tonnage than other waste, Bruxelles-Propreté reserves a specific collection method for chemicals, with specially trained staff because of the danger they represent for the environment and for the people who handle them.

What?

Chemical waste packaging containing product residues and bearing at least one of the pictograms listed below should be sent to PROXY CHIMIK:

Most household chemical waste can be identified by one of the following symbols on the packaging:

Corrosive
Corrosive
Irritant
Irritant
Dangerous for the environment
Dangerous for the environment
Flammable
Flammable
Pictogramme déchet chimique attention dangereux pour la santé
Hazardous to health - long term
Toxic
Toxic


 

Cleaning and maintenance products

Garden products

Beauty products

Briquets and lighteners

Extinguishers

Oils ad fats for frying

Batteries and others

 

Medical products

Automotive products

Coating products

Printing products

Light bulbs, compact fluorescent ("energy-saving") lamps, fluorescent tubes (neon) and LED lamps.
More information and collection points at www.recupel.be.

All aerosols, except empty cosmetic and food cans.

Where?

Where can you place your household chemical waste?

 

  • In our Recypark
  • In the municipal container parks in Auderghem, Ganshoren, Saint-Josse, Watermael-Boitsfort and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre for the residents of these municipalities. Find out more about the practical details in the container park of your municipality.
  • At the municipal dropping sites for household chemical waste in Anderlecht, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Evere, Jette and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean for the residents of these municipalities. Please contact the administration of your municipality for more practical details.
  • At the specific collections for household chemical waste in Koekelberg and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert for the residents of these municipalities. Please contact the administration of your municipality for the exact date and location of these collections.

 

The following is not accepted at PROXY CHIMIK and in the Recypark :

  • Asbestos waste ("Eternit")
  • Gas tanks, bottles and cartridges
  • Fireworks and other explosives
  • Laboratory products
  • Radioactive substances
  • Roofing materials
  • Professional chemical waste

To get rid of them, please contact Bruxelles Environnement on 02/775 75 75 or at https://environnement.brussels/

How?

A few rules

  • Bring your household chemical products in their original packaging and make sure they are properly closed (not loose in a plastic bag)
  • In the absence of original packaging, clearly write the name of the product on the packaging
  • Also bring the empty containers of household chemical products
  • Bring energy-saving light bulbs, fluorescent tubes (neon) and LED lamps in a plastic bag to keep them separate from other waste Incandescent light bulbs ("traditional") and halogens must be properly wrapped and placed in the white bag or grey/black container (buildings with containers)
  • Please put syringes and/or needles in a closed rigid container with some disinfectant and identify the container.
  • Separate liquids from solids
  • Do not mix materials together
  • Do not exceed 35l per visit to the PROXY CHIMIK.
  • Up to 30l for coating products (paint, varnish,…)
  • Up to 10 pieces for neon
  • Any exceeding amount will be rejected

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

All medication, expired or not.

What?

Which medication?

The box and instructions must be placed in the yellow bag

Pill bottles

Sprays, bottles

Bottles syrup

Ointment tubes

Pill packs

Where?

Where can you place your medication?

Only at your chemist's.

We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..

Today, there are no recycling channels for all types of waste, although new solutions are appearing regularly.

What?

What constitutes residual waste?

Any non-recyclable household waste is residual waste. Only place waste that cannot be recycled in your white bag (or grey/black container). Sorting guarantees the valorisation of the waste as raw material. Do not throw any items in good condition.

Where?

Where can you place your residual waste?

  • In the white bag
  • In the grey container (apartment buildings)

For reasons of hygiene, we ask that you put your residual waste items in a rubbish bag before throwing it in the container. In that case, the bag does not have to be a Bruxelles-Propreté white bag.

Residual waste items cannot be brought to the Recypark.

How?

A few rules

    • Your bag may not exceed 15 kg.
    • Sharp waste items (ex: broken glass) must be properly wrapped to prevent that you or our teams get cut..

    Your white bag cannot contain any:

    • hazardous waste
    • construction/renovation waste
    • waste whose volume is too large for the white bag

    We also encourage you to download our sorting memo and to fix where it can easily be seen (fridge door ...)..