Latvia is working towards meeting European Union Directives concerning waste disposal. Over hauling the present system to come in line with European waste procedures will have cost over 120 Million Euros by the time targets are reached, which are envisioned to be by 2013.
The three main areas for waste improvement are constructing landfill sites in accordance with EU Directives, closing down current small dumpsites and creating a collection system that permits the general public to separate their rubbish according to waste type.
The Environment Protection Department who are overseeing the recent implementation of waste separation projects admits they are facing problems as only 50% of funding is covered by EU Cohesion Funds and finding funding locally, by each municipality, is even more difficult at present due to the recent economic crisis.
Currently 97 small dump sites have been closed and 23 projects have been approved and 9 landfills are about to submit proposals for approval. Latvia creates approximately 700,000 tons of waste annually, a figure that has ironically reduced compared to previous years due to the recent financial crisis.
