OVAM | Waste control agents identified a 65% increase in infractions in 2023

The waste control team of OVAM has been active since the summer of 2021. After a training period, they were able to start working with a permanent team of enforcers in 2023. A fixed team of 25 enforcers was active during 1 562 enforcement days in the cities and municipalities participating in the project. They conducted a total of over 35 000 visual inspections on-site, meaning they observed someone performing a regulatory action in public spaces. Additionally, they recorded 8 311 violations, averaging more than 5 violations per enforcement day. Increased monitoring led to a 65% increase in violations compared to 2022, with 92% of the violations in 2023 related to cigarette butt littering. The pilot project is currently scheduled to run until the end of 2024.