Tervuren discovers the cost of trash

Tervuren pledged to roll out smart waste bins in 2025. Equipped with chip technology, the techie bins will weigh our residual household waste. That gets us to sort more and throw away less. Town grandees are now revealing exactly how much we get to pay. Scroll right down for the overview of costs.

The initiative, part of a broader regional push to cut residual waste, sparked fierce political debate. Former N-VA mayor Marc Charlier even voted against the plan, arguing that weighing waste would be “twice as slow and twice as expensive.”

Now part of a coalition with current Mayor Thomas Geyns (Voor Tervuren, Open VLD), it is unclear whether Charlier (N-VA) will change his tune. Last year, Charlier opposed the total cost of building the waste collection sites and purchasing a specialized truck, estimated at nearly €1 million. That figure covers the construction of roughly 13 to 15 sites in the center of Tervuren, at an estimated €60,000 each for four-container stations.

Another argument—largely of the NIMBY variety—was that each site would take up about two parking spaces. The measure passed thanks to support from then-opposition leader and current Open VLD mayor Thomas Geyns, allowing joint municipal waste collector Interrand still moved forward with implementation, backed by neighboring towns Overijse and Hoeilaart.

The aim is for Tervuren to reduce its annual per capita residual waste from approximately 126 kilograms to 83 kilograms by 2030. Weighing waste apparently helped neighbors Huldenberg and Bertem meet or exceed their targets.

“Tervuren will have to reduce its annual per capita residual waste from around 126 kg to 83 kg by 2030.”

Smart waste bin in Tervuren — Smart bins will weigh residual waste instead of using brown bags.

Currently, the sale of brown bags covers less than 60% of Interrand’s waste management costs. The new system could shift those extra expenses toward households that produce more waste. And that before Belgium starts charging for CO₂ emissions from incinerated residual waste from 2028

Shift expenses to wasteful households

In addition to variable pricing according to weight, Tervuren will introduce a fixed annual fee for garbage collection. Local politicians Jan Trappeniers, Lut Kint, and Elmo Peeters, all appointed to Interrand’s board. That was after a hectic late night town council session to nominate board posts, some worth over €200 per meeting.

🧾 Tariffs at Recyclagepark Tervuren

💳 Payment: Bancontact preferred; cash accepted at Tervuren office.
📦 Bulky waste: Charged between €5 and €30 depending on type.
🎟️ Free visits: Still valid even when mixed with paid waste types.
🔗 View full tariff details

📅 Waste Collection Calendar

🚛 Types collected: Restafval, GFT, PMD, paper/cardboard, bulky waste (on request).
⏰ Timing: Place bins outside after 8 p.m. the night before in Tervuren. Collection starts at 7 a.m. (6 a.m. in summer).
📱 App: Download the Recycle! app for Android and Apple to get reminders and schedules.
🔗 Check your collection calendar

Article and photos by Dafydd ab Iago for Tervuren+, licensed under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence.

Tervuren is replacing its old flat-rate waste collection system with a new model that requires residents to pay in three ways: container rental, how often their container is emptied and the weight of their waste.

The new system uses special containers equipped with a chip that registers each collection and measures the waste’s weight. The charges are as follows:

Rental Fee: A monthly fee for using the containers. A 40-liter container costs €0.70 a month, while a 240-liter container costs €1.40 a month.
Emptying Fee: A per-collection fee. For a 40-liter container, the fee is €0.65 for residual waste and €1.30 for a 240-liter container.
Processing Fee: A charge based on the waste's weight. Residents will pay €0.32 per kilogram for residual waste and €0.16 per kilogram for organic waste.

Tervuren discovers the cost of trash

Shift expenses to wasteful households

Door Dafydd ab Iago

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