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🇧🇪 Belgium /Environment & Climate

Assenede residents complain of stench, flies, and maggots due to hot weather and bi-weekly trash pickup

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Nearly 100 residents in Assenede have complained about foul odors, flies, and maggots from their residual waste due to warm weather and bi-weekly collection.
  • The opposition party Vooruit is demanding weekly waste collection during summer months, citing unsanitary conditions and pest infestations.
  • Local officials are considering allowing residents to drop off incontinence waste at recycling centers but are hesitant to reinstate weekly collections due to increased costs.

Assenede residents are struggling with unbearable conditions as warm summer weather exacerbates the problems caused by the shift to bi-weekly residual waste collection. Nearly 100 complaints have flooded in to the opposition party Vooruit, detailing issues of strong odors, swarms of flies, and maggots emerging from trash bags.

The maggots crawled out of the bags in my apartment. Result: cleaning the living room, kitchen, and hallway and cleaning up maggots indoors.

— ResidentDescribing the unsanitary conditions caused by warm weather and infrequent waste collection.

One resident described maggots crawling out of trash bags within their apartment, leading to a constant battle of cleaning and pest removal. "Rats are running through our gardens, my neighbor has already caught seven," another complaint read, highlighting a problem unseen by families who have lived in the area for generations.

Rats are running through our gardens, my neighbor has already caught seven. I have lived here for 100 years with my family and have never experienced this.

— ResidentHighlighting the severity of pest infestation linked to the waste collection issues.

The change to bi-weekly collection for residual waste, alternating with organic waste, was implemented in January to encourage better sorting. However, the current situation has prompted Vooruit to call for a return to weekly collections during the summer. "We will bundle all the complaints and bring them to the September municipal council," stated opposition councilor Liselotte Van Hoecke.

We will bundle all the complaints and bring them to the September municipal council.

— Liselotte Van HoeckeOpposition councilor stating the party's plan to address the resident complaints.

While the local government acknowledges the difficulties, particularly for those with incontinence waste, a return to weekly collections seems unlikely. The cost for seven additional summer collections would be triple the current rate, according to Alderman of Environment Nic Van Zele. Instead, officials are exploring options like allowing residents to deposit incontinence waste at recycling centers, hoping the current situation will also motivate better waste sorting.

We asked for a price for 7 extra collection rounds in the summer and the price was about 3 times higher.

— Nic Van ZeleAlderman of Environment explaining the financial obstacle to weekly summer collections.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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