Municipal waste manager "ZAAO" Ltd. (ZAAO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MEPRD) and 20 other cooperation partners in the waste management industry, have started to implement the European Union (EU) LIFE Integrated projects no LIFE20 IPE/LV/000014 “Waste To Resources Latvia - boosting regional sustainability and circularity” (LIFE Waste To Resources IP) activities.
The project will be implemented throughout the territory of Latvia until December 31, 2028, developing the waste management sector, promoting the implementation of circular economy principles and the concept of waste as a resource.
The overall goal of the project is to reduce waste by introducing new material recycling measures and reducing the economic impact on the environment and carbon footprint, fully implementing the measures set out in the National Waste Management Plan of Latvia (2021 – 2028).
ZAAO is involved in the implementation of five project activities in order to promote the development of a separate waste collection system, waste processing, maximum long-term consumption of materials, promoting reuse, repair, as well as to develop the offer of environmental education for interest groups of different ages.
Within the project will be created modernized sorted waste transfer area in Valmiera. It is planned to develop a pilot project, offering customers self-service options for waste transfer, weighing, accounting and remote payments for twenty-four hours daily.
In the regional waste management center "Daibe", the sorting line of sorted waste will be supplemented with a computer vision solution. Artificial intelligence will be used in the sorting process, allowing material that is even more suitable to the recycler's requirements to be transferred for recycling.
It is intended to develop the offer of environmental education by creating a regional circular economy and competence center, developing additional educational programs, and providing additional necessary educational infrastructure. A circular economy guide or guidelines for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the regional level will be developed.
Within the framework of the project, a study will be conducted to clarify consumer attitudes towards the creation of a circular economy center in Valmiera, to develop a business model for the point of exchange and repair, thereby extending the life of goods.
Another project activity foresees promoting cooperation between producers of industrial by-products and potential processors, recognizing the obstacles to cooperation at the moment and creating a collaboration platform.
The project is implemented with the financial support of the EU environment and climate program LIFE and the State Regional Development Agency (SRDA). The total cost of the project is1 060 313 EUR of which EU LIFE program funding is 636 188 EUR, the co-financing of the SRDA is 318 094 EUR, the co-financing of ZAAO amounts to 106 031 EUR.
The integrated project “Waste To Resources Latvia - boosting regional sustainability and circularity” (LIFE20 IPE/LV/000014 LIFE Waste to Resources IP) has received funding from the LIFE Programme of the European Union and the State Regional Development Agency Republic of Latvia.
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