2024-01-06 05:00:00
Laurence received a letter from the municipality of Namur telling her that household waste would no longer be collected in rue Simone Veil, where she lives. Since 2021, the authorities have tested the use of buried containers, and this year, the Municipal College wanted to extend it to other residents. But they did not adhere to this new system. Laurence explains. The intermunicipal BEP indicates why the City withdrew.
“We got a receipt in a box which indicated that household waste was no longer going to be collected in front of our house from January 1st”regrets Laurence, who contacted our editorial team via the orange Alert us button.
Since 2021, two islands of buried containers have been installed in rue Simone Veil, where our witness lives, in order to collect the neighborhood’s household waste. Their use has until now been limited to residents of the street’s apartment buildings.
But following receiving a positive report from the intercommunal BEP Environnement, the City of Namur decided to extend the use of containers to other residents. Some residents, like Laurence, do not agree with this measure.
“For me, it’s far. I have 350 meters to go up the street, which has just been made one-way. Everything has been changed in terms of traffic directions with the problems of the national 4 , we have to go all the way around to be able to access it. When we have to carry trash cans on foot to get there or if they are elderly people or if they are heavy trash cans, with litter, it has a certain weight. I don’t don’t find it normal to have to move around, because there are elderly people on the street or people who don’t have a car.”
In addition to the changes announced in relation to this collection, the municipal authorities mentioned the new taxation system from January 1, 2024. “I thought that legally the municipalities were obliged to go door to door except in remote places, which is not the case here. In addition, we have a tax which is 144 euros and then 15 cents per kilo for a household of 2-3 people. Not only will it cost me more and each time, I will have to travel to drop off the trash.”fulmine Laurence.
And to continue: “I find it unfair! I am 10 meters from apartments located on the national 4 which will be able to continue to deposit their bins normally and I don’t see why in an entire neighborhood there is a piece of street for which we will no longer collect trash. I find that unfair and unacceptable. For apartments, I think it can be very practical because they only have to cross the street and they don’t have storage problems, etc. So there, I can imagine that it might be interesting. But having to move around and do all the work of the garbage collectors while they pass 10 meters from my house since I am at the end of the street. Yes, I find that discriminatory. “
A petition was filed with the city of Namur, and following the discontent of the residents of this street, the intercommunal BEP Environnement reversed the decisions taken in recent weeks.
“The City of Namur had taken the decision to upgrade rue Simone Veil to collective contribution points from January 1, 2024, following the positive results achieved on the pilot project carried out in the new Erpent district, says Ingrid Bertand, communications manager at the intercommunal BEP Environnement. However, the City asked BEP on November 27 to continue door-to-door collection on rue Simone Veil following January 1, as residents of the street did not adhere to the proposed new collection system. What the Intercommunale accepted. There will therefore be no change in collection beyond January 1 for residents of this street.”
Are there other tests of this type in Namur?
“The aim of a pilot project is to test a solution on a small scale before evaluating it and drawing conclusions. In this case, this pilot project in Erpent aimed to establish the necessary conditions (from the point from the point of view of the BEP) to set up such a waste collection system, mainly in order to respond to the requests expressed by certain Municipalities which are considering implementing such a mechanism during the construction of new housing estates”, replies the intercommunal company.
Is home waste collection a legal obligation?
“The municipalities have an obligation to ensure public health and to do so define all the modalities that they consider appropriate (collection frequencies, type of container, etc.). These modalities are described and included in their police regulations. They then entrust the application of these collection methods to the BEP, which therefore applies the decision of each municipalityexplains the intermunicipal association. The terms of collection are defined by the municipalities, it is therefore a request from the municipalities. We at Bep are evaluating whether it is possible. Request from the province of Namur. See in practical terms what is possible. Here, the city of Namur has withdrawn following complaints from local residents…”
The installation of buried containers is requested by the municipalities. “When there are new neighborhoods, this prevents things from lying around, a matter of public health. They don’t have to wait to put their bags in the street. When new neighborhoods are built, we can arrange the buried containers and people buy with full knowledge of the facts. In France, this system is very widespread. In Liège, Intradel also does it.”concludes BEP Environnement.
Namur
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