site.btaBulgaria Registers Progress in Waste Recycling but Is Still Behind EU Average Levels

Bulgaria Registers Progress in Waste Recycling but Is Still Behind EU Average Levels

Sofia, April 19 (BTA) - Bulgaria has registered progress in waste recycling but is still lagging behind from the EU average levels in this field. This transpired at a seminar "Sustainable Management of Household Waste: from Collection to Their Economic and Energy Recovery" at the French Institute in Sofia.

The production of energy from waste may create useful interaction with the energy and climate policy but should be guided by the principles of hierarchy in waste management, said Deputy Environment and Water Minister Krassimir Zhivkov at the seminar.

The reduction of household waste disposal in Bulgaria is still a serious challenge, Zhivkov noted. On the average, for a five-year period the disposed waste accounts for 72-73 per cent of the generated one. According to this indicator, the amounts, reported by Bulgaria, are above the EU average, he added.

The recycling of biowaste was only two per cent in 2014, compared with 15 per cent on the average for the EU. This is one of the sectors with a major impact on the overall increase of recycling and on the reduction of disposed waste, Zhivkov also said.

Since 2010 there has been a tendency of reduction of the amount of generated waste, the Deputy Minister said further. In 2014, the average amount was 442 kg per person compared to 475 kg per person for the EU. There is a progress in the recycling of household waste: in 2010-2014 it was around 24 per cent at an average of 26 per cent for the EU.