You know the drill: you are in the midst of moving or emptying a home. There's still an old couch, a broken refrigerator or a box of knickknacks in the way. You “briefly” put it out on the curb with a cardboard sign attached: Take Free. Sounds like a sympathetic and easy solution, right? Unfortunately, the city or town thinks completely differently.
What often starts out as a quick way to get rid of stuff is, in almost all cases, seen by the government as surreptitious dumping. And the fines for doing so in Flanders are not trivial.
1 The thin line between ‘passing on’ and surreptitious dumping
The rules in Flanders are crystal clear: the sidewalk is public domain. You can't just park stuff there, even with the best of intentions.
As soon as you put bulky trash, furniture or garbage bags on the street without an official, scheduled collection by the municipality, you are violating environmental laws. Is your old mattress or couch left out in the rain for a few days? Then it's simply stealth dumping. As long as the stuff is in your driveway and it can't end up on public property, then we're “safe.”
2 What does a fine for illegal dumping cost?
Cities and towns are cracking down on litter in the streets. They are using cameras, checking the contents of abandoned boxes for address information, and neighbors are reporting more quickly.
If you get caught, you get a GAS fine (Municipal Administrative Penalty). The costs add up quickly:
The basic fine: For illegal dumping, a GAS fine in most central Flemish cities is easily €350 to €500.
Cleanup costs: It doesn't stop there. The municipality will also bill you for the labor and transportation costs to clean up your trash. This amount is in addition to the fine.
So for the money from one GAS fine, you could have had that waste professionally picked up long ago and without worry.
3 Other risks (besides the bill)
In addition to the financial hangover, trash on the curb often causes other unpleasant problems:
Neighbor quarrels: No one likes to look out on a mini-landfill. It quickly leads to frustrations and complaints to the neighborhood police officer.
Suction effect: A well-known rule on the street is: waste attracts waste. Before you know it, passersby are throwing their own garbage bags or cans at your old furniture. To the police, you are then suddenly responsible for that whole pile.
Pests: Old mattresses and seats left outside attract mice and rats in no time.
4 How do you do get rid of your bulky waste legally and quickly?
You basically have three options:
Self to the recycling park: This costs you physical effort, you may have to rent a trailer, and you are bound by the strict (and sometimes expensive) quotas and sorting rules of the DIFTAR system.
Calling the congregation: You can have bulky trash legally picked up around town. The downside? You often have to wait weeks for an appointment, you have to be home on the day for it, and they by no means take everything.
Junkbrothers enable: The fastest way. No stress, no fines and no dragging.
5 Bulky waste collection without stress: Leave it to us
Are you stuck with a pile of trash after a move, or do you have to clear out an entire house and don't know where to go with the contents? Don't put it out on the street, but play it safe.
At Junkbrothers, we come by at your convenience. We simply pick up that old couch, heavy cabinets or leftover bulky trash indoors. We take care of proper sorting and recycling, and you don't have to worry for a moment about GAS fines or angry looks from neighbors.
Take today contact on for quick and legal collection.
