News

Latvia is gradually moving towards more sustainable resource use and waste reduction by transitioning to a circular economy. This is confirmed by the fourth monitoring visit of the LIFE Integrated Project “Waste to Resources IP,” which at the beginning of September brought together experts from the Ministry of Climate and Energy (MCE), project partners, and the monitoring team from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and ELMEN-EEIG. During the two-day visit, the project’s progress was evaluated, innovative solutions were presented, and the next steps for more effective waste management were outlined.

The LIFE Integrated Project “Waste To Resources Latvia - boosting regional sustainability and circularity” is being implemented from 2021 to 2028 in cooperation between MCE and 22 partners from the public sector, municipalities, businesses, and the non-governmental sector. Its goal is to significantly reduce the amount of municipal waste landfilled by creating a modern, circular waste management system.

The project aims to strengthen separate waste collection systems, with particular attention to the sorting of textiles and biowaste. Proposals are also being developed for the introduction of the “pay-as-you-throw” principle in municipalities, opportunities are being created for the repair and reuse of items, as well as other measures for more efficient resource use. An important part of the project is also public information and education, so that every resident of Latvia can fully participate in building a sustainable environment.

“In the past three and a half years, the Ministry together with the LIFE project partners has been working intensively to create the prerequisites and good practice examples for the transition from ‘waste to resources’ – not only by developing new infrastructure and innovative technologies, but also by changing public thinking and habits,” emphasized Rudīte Vesere, Deputy State Secretary for Environmental Policy Issues at the Ministry of Climate and Energy, when opening the visit.

Within the framework of the project, the amount of collected textile waste increases every year – in 2023 it was 1,987 tonnes, while in 2024 already 2,344 tonnes. In total, more than 3,500 electrical appliances have been refurbished, of which more than 1,500 were donated to charity in 2024, while in the first half of 2025 more than 1,000 were sold to residents.

Great attention is also paid to public awareness – in 2023 and 2024 the project’s activities reached more than 6 million people through the media, environmental advertising, and other events.

During the visit, the project partners presented the main achievements – from trials of waste sorting and recycling technologies to promoting changes in public habits, as well as public awareness and education activities.

Nadia Lamhandaz, Policy Adviser at CINEA stated: “Witnessing the concrete steps being taken towards implementation of the Latvian National Waste Management Plan 2021-2028 thanks to the LIFE project Waste To Resources IP was truly satisfying. This project not only catalyses actions directly contributing to the European Union policies but also underscores the collaborative efforts required to drive progress and achieve impacts on the ground. The LIFE programme aim is to support such important work and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on Latvia as a whole.”

Experts from the Ministry and Aija Kažociņa, the ELMEN-EEIG project technical monitor, went on field visits to the project partners to assess the project results on site. They visited the automated sorted waste collection site established by Ltd “CleanR” in Riga, the electrical appliance repair workshop and the store “LAB!” of Ltd “Eco Baltia vide.” In the store, residents have the opportunity to purchase electrical equipment that has been refurbished with proper technical maintenance and repair, giving it a second life. The experts also got acquainted with the pilot products of Ltd “Econova Latvia” made from non-recyclable composite materials. The visit also included the landfill “Dziļā vāda,” where Ltd “Hyrogas” is implementing a pilot project – a synthetic gas production technology that has already attracted interest not only in Latvia but also internationally.

“It was very inspiring to see how determined the people involved in the project are to improve the waste management system in Latvia and to introduce solutions for the transition from waste to resources. Significant project achievements are already visible – improved waste sorting opportunities, better organized waste collection infrastructure, and greater public awareness of waste management. I am convinced that many residents of Latvia have changed their behavior in recent years thanks to the project’s activities, especially the campaigns on textiles, asbestos, and marine litter,” said Aija Kažociņa, the ELMEN-EEIG project technical monitor.

CINEA representatives highly appreciated the progress of the project, especially highlighting the successful cooperation between partners and the project implementation model. At the same time, recommendations were provided for improving the Progress Report to ensure greater clarity in the presentation of data and financial information. The final version of the report will be submitted to CINEA in the coming weeks.

The LIFE Integrated Project “Waste to Resources IP” is an important step in the transition to a circular economy, where less waste ends up in landfills, while more resources are returned to circulation and reused. It strengthens cooperation between state institutions, businesses, academia, and the non-governmental sector, moving Latvia towards a more sustainable future.