Tervuren mulls help for trash costs

Tervuren voted for the new — doubly expensive — weight-based residual waste collection back in 2022. Now they’re considering calls for a little known €12.50 social allowance to be hiked. That’s a small welcome gesture, especially for young parents juggling babies and nappies, as residual waste costs are set to jump to over €160 for a family of four.

“As far as I’m concerned, €12.50 is a fairly reasonable amount – it helps make sure people don’t overuse the system,” said finance alderman Jan Trappeniers (Voor Tervuren, CD&V), also warning against excessive generosity. By daytime, Trappeniers moonlights as a manager at a formerly state-owned railway operator. And he is also Interrand vice-chair.

The new system may cost a family of four double or more assuming costs of €160 — if they throw away the current average of 124kg of residual waste per person. That’s why the €12.5 support currently given by Tervuren is “completely ridiculous” for the opposition, especially for young families, even if they try to cut residual waste.

Washable pampers

Groen+ group leader Elmo Peeters led calls for more social support: “Young parents often have heavier [waste] from pampers. Let’s see if they can have an advantage,” said Peeters, who receives some €1500/year for attending Interrand board meetings. As a former Interrand vice-chair, Peeters and his party Groen, together with Voor Tervuren (CD&V, OpenVLD) voted through the costly shift to weight-based collection against an angry N-VA in 2022. Tervuren Unie+Volt, too, appears to have made rubbish collection a core issue: “Busy parents don’t have time for more ecological washable pampers,” said a Tervuren Unie+Volt councillor.

Currently, there’s only a subsidy covering 50% of the price of reusable nappies, up to €150. For second-hand reusable nappies, only up to €50 will be covered. Until toilet trained, an average baby is estimated to go through 1,450 kilograms and €2,500–€3,500 worth of pampers.

“This [weight-based] system is more expensive, causes nuisance and does not guarantee a reduction in residual waste,” added the N-VA. The Flemish nationalists now have limited influence in town hall, holding only two of the €59,882/year alderman posts, compared to Voor Tervuren’s four, not including Mayor Thomas Geyns himself.

The mayor also stressed that a study into alternative waste collection was not a concession to N‑VA. “That was therefore not part of a concession to a political party,” said Geyns, pointing out that the law requires a study to be carried out every 18 years, whenever a decision must be taken on whether to extend or terminate an intercommunal arrangement.

Part of Interrand, Tervuren has little choice but to switch to weight-based pricing. Geyns has previously noted that other intermunicipal waste companies are unwilling to accept new municipalities that reject the system. And residual waste is also extremely expensive and set to rise as incinerators begin paying for CO₂ emissions from 2027.

Incinerators’ dioxin and PFAS

Tervuren is also required to cut annual per capita residual waste from around 124 kg to 83 kg by 2030. The town’s residual waste is mostly incinerated by Biostoom 56km away in Beringen, where local residents have raised health concerns. A 2022 study there even found that 100% of eggs analysed failed to meet EU dioxin standards. The report called for further research to determine the exact source of the contamination. PFAS emissions were not measured.

The council also approved a €1.7 million contract for a new dump site in Vossem Keiberg. That’s despite ongoing legal action by a local seeking a pedestrian and cycle path along the Leuvensesteenweg (N3). The waste site is expected to be operational by late 2026. The new facility will be larger, easier to access, and equipped with a weighbridge, allowing residents to pay based on the actual weight of their waste.

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