site.btaHarmful Gas Emissions Drop in 2022, Y/Y

The National Statistical Institute released on Thursday the results of annual environmental surveys for 2022. In 2022, emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, methane, carbon monoxide and dioxide, nitrous oxide and ammonia have decreased compared to 2021. The biggest reduction in the emissions was of sulphur oxides with 11%.

In 2022, 99.5% of Bulgarians were connected to the public water supply. Only 2.8% of the public experienced water supply interruptions due to drought.

According to preliminary data, a total of 85.673 million tonnes of waste from economic activity were generated in 2022, a 23% decrease compared to the previous year. Non-hazardous waste accounted for 71,905 million tonnes, a 27% decrease year-on-year, and hazardous waste accounted for 13,768 million tonnes, registering a 1% increase.

Municipal waste generated in 2022 was 3,157 million tonnes, a 3.2% increase compared to 2021. Generated waste per capita in 2022 was 475 kg, or 30 kg more than the amount per capita in 2021.

In 2022, 523,000 tonnes of packages circulated on the market, a 1.97% increase year-on-year. Plastic packaging accounted for 148,000 tonnes, a 1.92% decrease.

Municipal administrations generated revenues totalling BGN 1.443 billion in 2022, a 6.9% increase compared to 2021. Part of these revenues, BGN 752 million, came from taxes on municipal waste, registering a 7.6% increase.

Noise level measurements were taken in 36 settlements in 2022. Out of the 749 locations measured, 514 had noise levels above the permissible levels. The cities with the worst noise pollution in 2022 were Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Kyustendil and Stara Zagora.

In 2022, the area of protected zones in Bulgaria accounted for 584,836 hectares or 5.3% of the country’s territory. By the end of 2022, there were 1,039 protected natural areas in Bulgaria.