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With the aim of developing a circular economy, reducing the amount of construction waste generated and ensuring its reuse, on Wednesday, 4 October, the waste manager “Clean R” opened Latvia's first construction waste, building material and repair item exchange point, informed Mr Valerijs Stankevičs, Chairman of the company's Board.

From 4 October, the construction waste, building material and repair item exchange point is open to everyone. It offers free drop-off, pick-up or exchange of re-usable building materials, repair items, interior furnishings and usable electrical appliances. At the exchange point, you can also exchange construction waste of certain quality for recycled soil or chips.The new exchange point is integrated into the construction waste sorting and recycling centre "Nomales" at 11 Brīvnieku Street, Stopiņi Municipality. At the opening event, in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Riga Energy Agency, Zero Waste Latvia and other guests, the first construction materials - paints, oils, brushes, wallpapers, electrical equipment, etc.

The construction debris, construction material and repair item exchange point was created thanks to the “LIFE Waste to Resources IP project”, which is being implemented on such a large scale in Latvia for the first time.

"Given that people often dispose of construction waste or left-over construction materials by throwing them in the household waste container or leaving them next to the container, which they may not do, it is increasingly important to raise awareness about extending the life of things and making them last longer. Volume of construction debris in Latvia amounts to several thousand tonnes every year, but the important question is what do we do with it? The logical and rational step would be to use them as efficiently as possible, so that only what really cannot be used for its original purpose or recycled is left over. This will reduce the resources we take from nature to produce new materials", said Rudīte Vesere, Director of the Environmental Protection Department of the MEPRD. MEPRD is the leading partner of the “LIFE Waste to Resources IP” project in Latvia.

In a survey on construction waste management in Latvia conducted by “CleanR” and the research centre SKDS, 29% of the population recognised that there could be something else useful among the discarded construction waste. Whereas, 58% of respondents said they would be happy to use recycled construction debris in construction.

 "By setting up an exchange point, we are giving the opportunity for the construction debris resorted at “Nomales” to become valuable raw or construction material. There's a saying which is not for nothing: "One man's waste is another man's resource." Visitors will be able to see how waste is transformed into reusable resources and it will be the first platform in Latvia where both parties - the waste producer and the potential resource user - can meet and exchange", said Stankevičs.

He added that many of the items handed over at the exchange point are classified as hazardous waste, such as paints, oils, varnishes, electrical appliances, etc., which should not be disposed of in household waste containers. By bringing these items to the exchange point, people will not only clean up their homes of hazardous waste that only takes space and is more difficult to dispose of, but they will also be able to put as many materials and goods back into the economy as possible so that they can be used again or by someone else if they no longer need them.

 In order to facilitate the circulation of items dropped off at the exchange point and to make it easier for citizens to receive the materials, on 1 November, “Zero Waste Latvija”, a cooperation partner of the “LIFE Waste to Resourses IP” project and “CleanR”, will launch a digital platform www.lietovelreiz.lv, where information on all materials dropped off at the exchange point and available to people will be gathered at one place.

"This platform will help promote the circularity of things and change people's habits towards a circular economy. The construction material exchange point's accounting system will be synchronised with the platform, so it will have up-to-date information on material stocks. Thus, people will be able to find out if there is what they need at a particular time before they go to “Nomales”. In the coming years, the range of items published on the platform will be expanded to include items prepared by other project partners for reuse, as well as information on repair workshops, rental points, free points and other circular economy services", said Evija Ozola-Ozoliņa, a representative of “Zero Waste Latvija”.

Whereas, Mr Jānis Ikaunieks, Director of the Riga Municipality Agency "Rīgas Enerģētikas aģentūra", said at the opening event that one of the Agency's focuses is promotion of circular economy in Riga, therefore it is important to create material exchange points, develop the sharing economy and offer opportunities to repair things.

"Basic principles of the circular economy involve sharing, reuse, repair and refurbishment of various materials and products to extend their life and circulation cycle. Crucial is also the fact that the circular economy seeks to preserve and enhance the value of resources to the extent possible throughout their life cycle - the exchange point helps make this happen by keeping materials out of the waste or recycling stream. Sustainable waste management is important in the municipality, so we are very pleased to see the development of such material exchange points", said Mr Ikaunieks.

The sorting site “Nomales”, including the construction debris, building material and repair item exchange point, will be open Mondays from 15:00 to 19:00; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12:00 to 16:00; and Saturdays from 9:00 to 13:00. At the exchange point, residents can hand over, pick up or exchange paints and varnishes, unused painting supplies, tools, small plumbing fixtures such as sinks, dry mixes, timber, wooden doors and windows with whole panes, finishing materials, fixings and fittings, structural metals , bricks, tiles and coverings of all kinds, interior items such as candlesticks, lamps, but not furniture, working electrical equipment which will be inspected at the time of handover, and construction debris free of charge, provided that inappropriate admixture does not exceed 30% and that an equivalent quantity of soil and chips is taken in return.

All the materials to be handed over must be free from defects, complete and ready for further use.

Unidentifiable substances, liquids and chemicals, substances hazardous to health and life, empty paint, varnish or oil containers, asbestos will not be accepted at the exchange point.