Higher fines for littering in Brussels

The City of Brussels is cracking down on litter and public urination by imposing stricter fines for the violations. These include putting the trash out too early, failing to pick up after a pet and dropping litter on the ground, writes Bruzz. The Brussels city council on Monday approved the fine increase.

Since 2007, the City has doled out more than 46,000 fines to address public cleanliness. "However, there remains a small minority that does not respect the rules. There have been plenty of awareness campaigns, now it's time to tighten the penalties,” public hygiene minister Karine Lalieux told Bruzz.

The penalty for putting out a non-compliant garbage bag is new and will cost violators €150. The penalty for putting out the garbage at the wrong time increases from €50 to €100.

The City is also doubling the fines for urinating in public, leaving dog excrement on the footpath and failing to throw rubbish in the designated bins. Violators will henceforth pay €100 instead of €50.