Those Rēzekne residents used to handing over large amounts of waste, hazardous waste, and used textiles in specially equipped places, now don't understand what to do.
The collection sites were unveiled in 2008 on Rīgas Street and Zilupes Street in Rēzekne, where residents had the opportunity to deliver sorted waste free of charge. Aigars Metlāns, board member of the waste management company in Rēzekne city ALAAS Ltd, said that some time ago the waste collection area on Zilupe Street had to be closed for several reasons.
“On Zilupe Street, the land is also in the private area and the municipal capital company should not invest in a foreign property and there was no watertight cover there, so the State Environmental Service prohibited the use of that land,” explained Metlāns.
ALAAS recently made the decision to also close the other and final collection site in the city located on Rīgas Street. Metlāns said this was due to Rēzekne City Council's decision to sell the municipal land on which the garbage collection site was located.
“Discussions are ongoing with the municipality over several months, a new area is being sought,” said Metlāns. “As a waste management operator, we are ready to obtain permission from the State Environmental Service and launch the operation of a new area.”
Aigars Metlāns stated that the waste collection area has been actively used by residents over these years and now the only option to recycle the collected plastic, metal, clothes, and furniture is to transport the waste to the Križevniki landfill site 15 kilometers away.
“The site was never empty - lines even formed at times,” Metlāns said. “Looking at the year, one and a half thousand cubic metres of packaging was collected there.”
The local government is responsible for organizing waste management in the city. The head of the Urban Environment and Development Board of Rēzekne City Council, Georgijs Orlovs, said that a site where the new garbage collection area could be located has already been found.
The establishment of a new sorting area shall require the approval of the deputies of the city or municipality council. However, the City Council meetings in Rēzekne are no longer taking place because the deputies of the position do not attend them, so the resolution of the matter may drag on.
