Waste and resource management in your company

By responsibly managing your company's waste, you can play a decisive role in preserving the environment. Producing less waste and recycling unavoidable waste are the keys to sustainable management.

Beyond the environmental impact, certain legal obligations regarding waste apply to Brussels companies. 

• Compulsory sorting for the following items, applicable to all companies and persons that operate a business within the Brussels-Capital Region: 
• Paper and cardboard
• ‘PMC’: plastic bottles, metal packaging and beverage cartons
• Waste glass
• Plant waste (parks and gardens)
• Animal waste
• Hazardous waste such as ink cartridges, paint, etc., should be disposed of in a safe manner.
• Waste subject to an obligation to return it: waste electrical and electronic equipment, waste edible oil and grease, end-of-life vehicles, used oil (non-food), used tyres, used batteries, expired medicines, non-domestic packaging waste and solar panels
• Soon compulsory: organic waste
• Provide proof that your waste is properly managed, applicable to all companies and persons that operate a business within the Brussels-Capital Region: 
• By means of a contract, invoice or certificate issued by an approved collector, or a registered processing centre or tip.  
• This proof must be kept for 5 years
• The use of single-use plastic bags prohibited in retailers’ sales areas, applicable to any trader selling products to take away
• Environmental permit for the storage of waste, applicable in certain cases if the storage capacity exceeds the classification thresholds (type of waste & storage capacity) 
• Obligation to take back used batteries and very small used electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) free of charge in shops (<25 cm in diameter), applicable to any retailer with a sales area of at least 400m2 for EEE
• Comply with special waste collection conditions, applicable as part of complementary collection facilities (e.g. taking back used mattresses for sellers of new mattresses, household waste recycling centre that collects waste from businesses located on the industrial estate, etc.)

If you fail to comply with these obligations, you risk an administrative fine of between 50 and 62,500 euro.

Do you want to go beyond your legal waste obligations? Be inspired by the Opens in new windowEcodynamic Organisation Label ’s (FR) best practices in eco-management and sign up for the Opens in new windowBrussels Green Network (FR) . If you want to get rid of equipment (furniture, electronic etc.) that could be reused, think about giving it to the social economy so that it can be reused. You will find the different associations offering a collection service on the Opens in new windowRessources Federation website (FR).  

Are you a professional waste management operator (transport, collection, processing, etc.)? Specific legal obligations (Opens in new windowBrudaweb FR) apply to your profession, consult the Opens in new windowBrussels Environment website (FR) for full information on approvals and application registrations.