Riga residents will be required to sort BIO waste starting from March 1st

2024-02-07

Starting March 1st, 2024, residents of Riga will be required to sort biodegradable (BIO) waste. This applies to all multi-apartment buildings with more than 10 apartments, as stipulated by amendments to the regulations on household waste management in the capital city adopted by the Riga City Council.*

The requirements apply to multi-apartment residential buildings with more than ten apartments that do not have the possibility of bio-composting (the amendments specify that these buildings will now be able to compost biodegradable garden and park waste without disturbing others). For multi-apartment residential buildings with less than ten apartments, the installation of BIO waste containers will remain voluntary.

By actively sorting BIO waste, it is predicted that unsorted waste containers will not fill up as quickly, which will allow residents to reduce both the volume of containers and the frequency of their removal, thus reducing disposal costs.

The motivation for sorting BIO waste can be both economic and environmentally driven. One of the incentives for sorting biodegradable waste is the lower fee for its disposal compared to household waste. A fee has been set for BIO management, which in 2023 was 80% of the fee for unsorted household waste management, but from January 1, 2024, it is 60%.

By starting separate collection of BIO waste, it is possible not only to reduce waste management costs but also to fully utilize the collected material and process it into valuable raw materials and use it for heat and gas production, as well as to reduce the amount of landfilled waste.

Practical Recommendations for Sorting Biodegradable Waste in Households

There may be concerns that sorting food waste will be inconvenient and cause odors in the home. However, there are a few things you can implement in your daily routine to make sorting easier:

Start small and simple: For example, start by only putting fruit and vegetable peels in a separate container.
Set up a special container: It will be more convenient to collect biodegradable waste in a small container in the household. There are special containers available for collecting these wastes, for example, 2-5 liters in volume, with a lid and a double frame and special openings for air exchange, as well as various other technical improvements that prevent odor emission.
Take out the trash regularly: If you take out this container every day for a walk, there will be no odors, and you will also get some exercise. Once you get used to sorting the peels, add to the range of biodegradable waste you sort.
Keep the container clean: It is recommended to use special bags in the container to keep it clean or to rinse the container after emptying it.
Special bags: Biodegradable waste can also be sorted at home in paper bags and biodegradable bags and the waste can be thrown into the container with these bags.

The Riga City Council and three waste management companies in Riga have jointly created a unified waste sorting guide for the convenience of residents, which will help to make it easier to navigate waste sorting in the capital.

* Amendments to the Binding Regulations of Riga City Council No. 87 of November 29, 2019 “Par sadzīves atkritumu apsaimniekošanu Rīgas pilsētā“(“About household waste management in the City of Riga”).

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