Together against sorting mistakes

Belgians are known as good sorters. In 2025, the amount of collected PMD  rose to a new record high. The downside? PMD bags also increasingly contain residue – items that don't belong there and can't be recycled. Together with our partners in the field, we're helping citizens do better.

The collection of PMD took off thanks to the expanded sorting rules introduced in 2019. Over ten years, the amount collected per resident rose from 14.4 kg in 2016 to 26.1 kg in 2025.

The downside of success

But that success also has a downside. We're finding a growing number of items in PMD bags that don't belong there at all: batteries, electronics, toys, textiles, full packaging, and more. It seems some citizens have interpreted the sorting rules a little too broadly.

This leads to technical problems in the sorting centers, higher processing costs, and a sharply increased fire risk throughout the entire chain. Reasons enough, then, to refresh the sorting rules again and raise citizens' awareness of this issue. We're doing this, among other things, through our national campaign and joint actions with Bebat and Recupel.

Results in the field

Our partners in the field are also stepping up their efforts. Intermunicipal association Tibi managed to significantly reduce the amount of residue in the Charleroi region, thanks to a combination of measures: increased inspection of PMD bags and intensive use of rejection stickers on incorrectly sorted bags. Combined with a thorough analysis of sorting errors, Tibi was able to further improve the quality of the collected PMD.