Clean up litter around your company

What is litter?

Litter is all the waste that does not end up in the waste bin. For example, packaging material, paper, bottles and cans, fruit scraps, cigarette butts, and chewing gum. It often ends up on the street due to carelessness. And it continues to drift for a long time. That is bad for our environment.

Read more about environmental regulations for your business.

Litter: 25-metre rule

The 25-metre rule means that you must keep the environment around your premises clean. You have to clean up waste (such as food scraps, packaging, sports and game materials) from your company within a radius of 25 metres around your business premises. You are responsible for this. The 25-metre rule is part of the Environmental Management Activities Decree (Activiteitenbesluit milieubeheer) until 1 January 2024. After that it will fall under the Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet, in Dutch).

Place a waste bin

Do you sell food or drink? For example, from a pick-up counter, a stall, a food truck, or a snack bar. Then you must place a waste bin in the vicinity of your business that your customers can easily reach. And you must keep this bin clean and empty it on time.

Handing out flyers in public spaces

Would you like to hand out flyers, samples, bike seat covers, discount coupons, or other advertising material? For example, to shoppers, under car windshield wipers, or at an event. Then you have a duty to clean up. You are obligated to clean up discarded promotional material.

You must also adhere to the rules of your municipality. For example, you need permission from your municipality to distribute flyers. And you are not allowed to distribute promotional materials to children aged 12 and under.

Municipality determines rules on clearance after 2024

On 1 January 2024, the new Environment and Planning Act will take effect. From then on, the rules on litter will be in a (temporary) environment plan. And no longer in the Activities Decree on Environmental Management. Your municipality will adopt the rules on litter in the environment plan. Later, your municipality can adjust the rules. This way, the municipality determines which rules apply to litter clearance. And so they can better respond to local situations. The 25-metre rule will remain in force after 1 January 2024. Until your municipality adjusts the rules on litter clearance in the environment plan. Your municipality has until 2032 to do so. Read more about the new Environment Act.