On February 21, another online seminar on the topic “Pay as You Throw” was held within the framework of the series “Dialogue with Science,” with the participation of 65 attendees, including researchers, scientists, students, municipal specialists, representatives of waste management companies, state and municipal institutions, and experts from state institutions.
Aija Vanaga, project manager of the association “Baltic Coasts,” presented the study “Pay as You Throw,” conducted within the LIFE IP project “Waste as Resources in Latvia.” The study aims to provide research on the possibilities of reducing unsorted household waste using the principles of the “Pay as You Throw” (PAYT) system at the household level, including a techno-economic analysis and an assessment of the social aspect. The presentation explained the basic principles of the PAYT system, which is based on the “polluter pays” principle. This system charges for waste management based on the actual amount of waste generated. Specifically, the PAYT scheme can be implemented in several ways: (1) the fee for waste depends on the volume of the container used by the waste producer, (2) the frequency of container collection, (3) the price per waste collection bag, (4) the weight of the waste being disposed of, or (5) a combination of the aforementioned methods. The presentation analyzed the benefits, strengths, and weaknesses of this system, as well as introduced a survey conducted within the study on residents’ waste sorting habits and public opinion on the implementation of the PAYT system. A. Vanaga, the representative of the association “Baltic Coasts,” pointed out that certain prerequisites must be met to implement the PAYT system, and significant investments in technical solutions are necessary for the system to start operating and be maintained.
In the continuation of the seminar, examples of PAYT system implementation in Jūrmala, Sigulda, and Rēzekne were reviewed.
Zanda Sapronova, Head of the City Management Department of the Property Administration of Jūrmala City Municipality, shared the experience of implementing a system based on the principle of weighing household waste. She explained that the goal of introducing the waste weighing system in Jūrmala was to motivate residents to sort waste in order to reduce the fee for the waste generated in their households. The representative of Jūrmala City Administration described how the weighing system was introduced, how it works, and what the advantages and disadvantages of the waste weighing system are. Among the advantages, it was noted that after the system was introduced, residents only pay for the amount of waste they generate and can reduce their waste bills by changing their waste sorting habits. She pointed out that after the system was implemented, the number of waste sorters increased significantly, the quality of sorted waste improved, and the higher waste management tariff significantly influenced the demand for sorted waste containers. The disadvantages of implementing the weighing system included the fact that unsorted household waste ends up in public places, in apartment building containers, or elsewhere, leading to illegal dumping sites at public sorting points and remote locations. Additionally, the weighing system requires higher maintenance costs—more expensive equipment, equipment verification, and other investments. In her presentation, Z. Sapronova mentioned that Jūrmala City has introduced a composting register, allowing data collection on the number of residents engaged in home composting. She also mentioned other free municipal initiatives for collecting various types of waste, such as bulky waste, leaves, and electrical equipment collection campaigns.
Meanwhile, Kristīne Uškenika, Executive Director of Ltd “Jumis,” shared the experience of smart waste sorting points in Sigulda. At the smart point, residents of 13 apartment buildings with 404 apartments can dispose of household waste and biodegradable waste separately by identifying themselves with a Sigulda ID card. Additionally, underground containers for the sorting of light packaging (plastic, paper, metal) and glass containers have been installed for public use at the smart point.
Although the benefits of such a system are evident—by actively sorting waste, residents can reduce their waste management expenses by up to 50%, take greater responsibility, and control the amount of waste they generate—there are also many challenges in implementing and maintaining such a system. The main challenges relate to the high costs of installing and maintaining smart points and damage prevention. As K. Uškenika pointed out, some residents misuse the smart points, causing damage to the compactor system by inserting improperly sized waste, large objects, and construction waste into the container openings. Additionally, waste is placed outside the containers, requiring extra maintenance and daily waste collection at the smart point. Another challenge is the regular turnover of tenants, which necessitates additional explanatory and educational efforts. There is also the issue of where the residents of 79 apartments, who have never registered their Sigulda ID card in the system, dispose of their waste.
Jurijs Petkevičs, Executive Director of Ltd “ALAAS,” shared the experience of household waste management in Eastern Latgale, specifically in Rēzekne City, Rēzekne Municipality, and part of Ludza Municipality. This company applies a different PAYT system, where the household waste fee is determined by the container’s volume, registering how full it is at the time of collection. This approach is permitted by the municipal binding regulations “Rēzekne City Household Waste Management Regulations,” which stipulate that the waste management company records the amount of waste removed from container sites, considering the container’s fill level (full, half-full, empty).
J. Petkevičs demonstrated the waste management company’s billing system, where the waste management fee is calculated based on the registered container status at the time of emptying. He noted that the waste management tariff includes not only the natural resource tax and waste disposal fee but also all other costs associated with waste management, including vehicle fuel costs. In cases where the containers were empty or not placed for collection, transportation fuel costs are not recovered, and the waste management fee is not applied. However, each resident has the opportunity to inform the waste management company that no waste was generated for a particular collection round. When asked whether prepaid waste bags are used in this region, the Executive Director of Ltd “ALAAS” responded affirmatively. However, he also pointed out that the prepaid bag system has its drawbacks. When the bag is full, residents must still find a public waste sorting point to place it. Moreover, waste collection vehicles do not always notice bags left next to containers, especially if they are covered in snow.
All presenters emphasized that for any waste management system to be successfully implemented and function effectively, residents’ responsibility and understanding of the goals and benefits of the measures being implemented are crucial. Therefore, regular public education and information dissemination are essential.
You can explore the seminar presentations in more detail in Latvian here:
Updates on the LIFE project “Waste To Resources IP”
“Pay as You Throw” – Solutions for Household Waste Sorting
Household Waste Weighing System in the Administrative Territory of Jūrmala City
Smart Waste Sorting Point
Household Waste Management System in Eastern Latgale: Experience and Solutions
Photo: liepajniekiem.lv
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