On 16 October 2024, a seminar dedicated to the implementation of circular economy principles and the challenges of waste management in municipalities took place in Jēkabpils. Our colleague Maija Kāle, Sustainability Advisor, attended the event sharing her knowledge and experience from the Nordic countries on ways to raise awareness and improve efficiency of waste sorting.
The event was one of six seminars that took place in various regions of Latvia. Each of the seminars focused on a specific challenge of waste management or circular economy implementation in municipalities. The aim of the seminar was to foster discussions among specialists from municipalities, waste management, building management, environmental organisations; to share their experience on efficient waste management, to promote discussion on the implementation of circular economy principles in municipalities and to create solutions to current challenges of implementing circular economy principles and waste management.
M. Kāle presented the advantages of pictograms for more efficient waste sorting. Referring to the Nordic experience, among other thigns she noted that the standardisation of waste pictograms would not only benefit the citizens, but also the producers. Having a common pictogram system would allow citizens and producers to use the same information regardless of location, thus making waste sorting much easier. Additional information on pictograms is available at www.piktogrammam.lv and in the article on adapting the Danish pictogram system in the Baltic countries.
Other solutions were also presented at the event. Alice Vecozola, Head of the LIFE Integrated Project Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Climate and Energy, introduced the Waste to Resources project and the Circular Economy Roadmap. Aija Vanaga, Project Manager of the Association “Baltijas krasti”, presented a solution for households in municipal waste management which involves charging waste generators based on the actual amount of waste.
The event was attended by environmental specialists from local authorities, regional waste management centres and waste management companies, representatives of environmental organisations, activists, building managers and representatives of other companies dealing with the related matters. Participants of the seminar had the opportunity to visit the municipal waste landfill “Dziļā vāda” and to watch a demonstration at the synthetic gas production plant of “Hyrogas” Ltd.
The seminar was held within the framework of the European Union LIFE integrated project “Waste as resources in Latvia: Promotion of regional sustainability and circulation by introducing the concept of using waste as resources” (LIFE Waste to Resources).
Photo: piktogrammam.lv
