22.12.2023
The final "Dialogue with Science" webinar of the year.
Research on household textile sorting and utilization was conducted.
A student hackathon on reducing resource consumption.
Annual meeting of Latvia's LIFE projects.
Project representatives visited Finland for the concluding seminar of the LIFE IP Circwaste project.
Seminar on sustainable environmental education in waste management sector in Latvia.
Workshop for teachers on incorporating circular economy principles into the training process.
Survey on smoker habits with cigarette waste.
Textile collection campaigns took place in 10 Latvian cities.
The third "Dialogue with Science" webinar took place.
A three-day monitoring visit for the project has concluded.
"My Sea" announces the results of the 2023 coastal monitoring.
The "Don't sleep in Litter" campaign has concluded.
ZAAO expands environmental education opportunities for adults.
The project's first Monitoring Group meeting has taken place.
Read more about project updates
Special Topic – CONSTRUCTION WASTEAccording to Article 1 of the Waste Management Law, construction waste refers to waste generated during construction works and the demolition process.
Activities Implemented in the Project Related to Construction Waste Sorting and Recycling
The first construction debris and materials exchange point established in Latvia
On October 4, 2023, at "Nomales," 11 Brīvnieku Street, Stopiņi Parish the inaugural opening of Latvia's first construction debris, building material, and repair item exchange point, created by the project partner 'CleanR,' took place. The exchange point is accessible to everyone for free. The space is open on Mondays from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
At the exchange point, residents can freely give away or take various repair and interior items, excluding furniture, unidentified substances, liquids, and chemicals, substances hazardous to health and life, empty paint, varnish or oil containers, and asbestos. Similarly, construction debris can be exchanged for soil and gravel in equivalent quantities if inappropriate contaminants in them do not exceed 30%. All materials submitted must be defect-free, in full assembly, and ready for further use.
During the first month at the new 'CleanR' exchange point, residents have already contributed over 200 reusable materials, many of which have been picked up and entered further circulation. This has prevented the burying of more than a ton of construction waste. More information about this and the LietoVelreiz exchange platform can be found in the following ‘’Environmental facts’’ news segment.
From November 1st, 2023 a platform previously unprecedented in Latvia is available to residents - www.lietovelreiz.lv. It’s goal is to promote the reuse and sharing of items, and inform the public about available free items throughout Latvia. It is introduced within the framework of the LIFE Integrated Project "From Waste to Resources" by the association 'Zero Waste Latvia.' In the "Catalog" section, you can already find information about all materials and items available at the CleanR exchange point and free-to-borrow tools at the Goethe Institute's Tool Library for construction, active leisure, or entertaining experiments at home and in the kitchen. On the other hand, the "Map" on the platform will show providers of sharing, renting, and repair services – from bathroom repairs, clothing alterations, diesel generator rentals to tent, carnival costume, or even painting rentals. Learn more about available categories of sustainable services on the new platform www.lietovelreiz.lv and simultaneously contribute to generating less waste!
Waste manager "CleanR" has introduced a new and innovative self-service portal and app at manai.videi.lv, offering residents a convenient and quick way to dispose of excess construction, repair, large-scale, and other waste. The portal provides remote access to various waste management services and information, including an online store. The system automatically calculates the volume and cost of the selected service based on the data you enter.
On December 14, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development hosted its annual seminar on the latest trends in green public procurement. This year's theme was dedicated to the construction industry and the innovations in public construction procurements that will come into effect on January 1, 2024. The most significant update is that green procurement requirements are now mandatory for Category 3 buildings.
To assess the previous experience of construction waste generators in managing such waste, highlight problem areas, and understand residents' willingness to participate in its selective collection, a study was conducted within the project. A survey was administered to 2005 respondents, 67% of whom had been directly involved in the construction, demolition, or renovation of their own or family-owned real estate. The acquired data and analysis were compiled in the report titled "Report on the Development of the Recycled Construction Material Circulation System in Households and the Private Sector."
The study concludes that households and their construction activities are the primary source of construction waste in nature. However, the reason for this could be the poorly regulated and organized construction debris management system in municipalities.
Asbestos-containing slate, as construction waste, is classified as hazardous waste since asbestos fibers can enter the respiratory system and pose a threat to human health.
From 2013 to 2021, approximately 17,395 tons of asbestos-containing building materials were managed in landfills, and the quantity has been increasing in recent years. Primarily, these waste materials originate from the reconstruction of municipal buildings. As part of the LIFE Integrated Project "From Waste to Resources," the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM) collaborated with the adult non-formal education institution "DOMUS Education" to conduct five training seminars by June 2023. These seminars prepared 125 State Environmental Service, municipal, and landfill employees to work with asbestos-containing waste. The goal of the training is to develop and enhance participants' professional knowledge of environmental protection requirements and practical skills in dealing with asbestos-containing waste.
As part of a pilot project, support for the collection, transport, and disposal of hazardous asbestos-containing roofing material stockpiles from impoverished and low-income households is planned to begin in spring 2024.
An assessment within the project revealed that the total volume of asbestos-containing slate roof in Latvian municipalities reaches up to 83,575,150 m2, constituting approximately 1 million tons. Mostly found in Pierīga municipalities, slate roof volumes reach 10,000 tons, while in other regions and Latvia's major cities, the slate roof volume reaches up to 40,000 tons.
The largest volumes of slate roofs are in Riga and the South Kurzeme region, reaching around 49 and 53 thousand tons, respectively. The share of slate roofs covering residential houses is similar across all municipalities – around 60% for non-residential buildings and 40% for residential buildings.
[Link to the full research report]
Practical advice on where to dispose of asbestos slate and how hazardous it is to health and the environment can be found in the Environmental Facts segment or by examining the "Handbook for Working with Asbestos-Containing Waste.".
The Latvian Construction Association (LBA) studied the experience of implementing circular economy principles in the construction industry in other European countries, highlighting Austria and Finland as good examples.
Austria has successfully established a national classification of construction waste, defined waste testing procedures and the responsible parties, waste disposal status, and technical standards for working with recycled construction waste. The high costs of depositing construction waste in landfills and an organized recycling system incentivize businesses to find commercially viable recycling solutions and reintegrate materials back into the industry. In Finland, a vision for a circular economy in the construction and real estate industry has been set for 2023. The country has implemented a waste and by-product registry and created a networking space for waste recyclers and producers.
Several Latvian companies shared their experiences with examples of secondary raw material use. Experts from the Ministry of Economics, VARAM, the Construction State Control Bureau of Latvia, and the State Environmental Service also participated in the seminar. Knauf demonstrated sustainable use of gypsum, CleanR introduced a newly opened plastic recycling plant, the materials of which can also be used in construction. Schwenk Latvia experience in ready-mixed concrete and concrete construction field encouraged discussions about the need for recycled concrete and production processes. Balticfloc shared their experience in producing sustainable hemp fiber and recycled paper insulation material. Wood processing company Druplat also works with materials from demolitions and construction works. The company's future goals include producing new circular products – pallet blocks – from the obtained recycled material.
The participants in the seminar discussion were unanimous - inclusively specifying in the procurement documentation the condition for the reuse of materials would promote efficiency. Often, due to the requirements of the procurement, the possibility of reusing materials in production is not even considered and proposed.
LBA identified necessary improvements in construction processes and the main needs for effective, circular management of resources. Considering these factors, LBA is promoting the creation of a data-based system accessible to industry professionals for monitoring and trading construction debris and recycled products. Proposals and guidelines will also be developed for improving several stages of the construction process, such as construction waste separation on construction sites, demolition audits, circular public construction procurement, and more.
Gints Miķelsons, Chairman of the LBA Board: "The Latvian Construction Association will continue to work on proposals for changes in construction and waste regulations to promote the separation, recycling, and reuse of construction waste in both public and commercial projects. I invite entrepreneurs to participate in assessing and developing green construction tasks, join industry entrepreneurs, and become more active advocates for your interests!"
On December 6, 2022, Brigita Vīksne shared insights from the project's preliminary research and addressed other questions related to the LIFE Integrated Project "From Waste to Resources" at the online training conference organized by the Latvian Waste Management Companies Association. The conference theme was "Construction Waste Management - How to Promote Sustainable Industry Development?" The full recording of the conference can be watched here. The recording is in Latvian.
If you have already started or are planning to start recycling construction waste, you can find the nearest collection points on the“skiroviegli.lv” website!
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