The collection of biodegradable waste in Latvia is currently doing best in Riga, where bio-waste began to be collected in 2020, Stankevičs said, adding that there is still room for growth.
“The service itself is always applied for by the customer. This means that, as an operator, we are not obligated to assemble containers for everyone. In other words, there must be demand,” Stankevičs said.
Accordingly, residents must approach either the waste operator or the house manager.
Sorting biodegradable waste is an opportunity to reduce the cost to the population of managing waste. As of this year, the biowaste tariff is 40% lower than municipal waste, Stankevičs emphasized.
As of January 1, 2024, a separate collection of biological waste is mandatory in Latvia. However, in the early days of January there was no response from the population, nor has there been any increased interest from waste managers in collecting bio-waste.
