Leuven (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Leuven, inmates from the Transition House, under Leen Muylkens and supported by Ecowerf, adopted the Prosper Poulletlaan bottle banks to maintain cleanliness and support social reintegration.
As VRT News reported, in Leuven, inmates from the Transition House have taken responsibility for the bottle banks on Prosper Poulletlaan. Leen Muylkens of the Transition House said the initiative helps participants reintegrate into society.
“With the Transition House, we want to be part of society. This gives the participants the opportunity to show responsibility and care for the neighborhood,”
she said.
“Just like everyone else, prisoners also want to be meaningful.”
Leen Muylkens, Transition House Leuven
What are Transition House inmates and Ecowerf doing to keep Leuven’s bottle banks clean?
Participants at the Leuven Transition House are enthusiastic about taking care of the bottle banks on Prosper Poulletlaan. They will make sure the bins stay clean and watch for illegal dumping. Leen Muylkens of the Transition House said the participants are happy to have a place in the program and want to give back to the city.
“Like everyone else, they want to make a difference. I see a lot of motivation within the group,”
she said.
The initiative also aims to change how people see prisoners, Muylkens said.
“Too often, we think prisoners are dangerous. That is not true, especially for those in the Transition House, where we teach responsibility,”
she explained. The Transition House is pleased that waste collector Ecowerf asked them to adopt the bottle banks.
The Leuven Transition House has been established since 2017, a program specifically designed to assist individuals with reintegration into society following incarceration. The program expanded its reach in 2025 through collaboration with the bottle (glass) banks on Prosper Poulletlaan.
In Belgium, initiatives have been developed to support inmates with reintegration into society. The EtMoi@Work program in Brussels, where inmates are provided with the opportunity to construct office supplies from recycled materials, by giving them skills and work experience. With the beginning of the 2010s, there has also been community-based detention houses established on a smaller scale, which allow inmates to learn responsibility and take part in activities benefitting the local community.
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