Lithuania’s new environment minister hopes municipalities will resolve Vilnius region waste crisis

Lithuania’s newly appointed Environment Minister Ieva Andriulaitytė has expressed hope that local municipalities will resolve the ongoing waste management crisis in the Vilnius region, though she has not ruled out stronger state intervention if necessary.

“For now, I hope the municipalities will solve the problem, as waste management is their responsibility,” Andriulaitytė told journalists at a government meeting on Tuesday, as reported by LRT.

She acknowledged that if local authorities fail to address the issue, her ministry may need to explore alternative solutions, including the possibility of declaring a state-level emergency. However, she stressed that such measures—whether waste incineration or an emergency declaration—would require careful consideration to determine their effectiveness.

Andriulaitytė criticised the current dispute between the Vilnius Region Waste Management Centre (VAATC) and the company Energesman, warning that the conflict risks triggering a broader waste crisis affecting both residents and local governments. She described resolving the issue as her first major challenge since taking office, emphasising its urgency.

The crisis stems from disruptions at Energesman’s mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plant, which has hindered the processing of mixed municipal waste from eight municipalities in the VAATC region. In response, Vilnius city municipality decided to temporarily redirect all waste to the Kazokiškės landfill. However, Elektrėnai municipality, where the landfill is located, has opposed this move and may refuse to accept waste from the entire region.

Eglė Bernotavičienė, head of Vilnius city’s waste management division, stated that the decision is temporary and follows recommendations from responsible institutions until waste processing at the MBT plant stabilises. Elektrėnai Mayor Gediminas Ratkevičius argued that Vilnius’s decisions should not apply in his municipality and suggested that unprocessed household waste might be barred from entering Kazokiškės.

Last week, VAATC terminated its MBT plant operation contract with Energesman, citing failures to meet obligations. Energesman has denied wrongdoing, calling the termination unlawful, and has announced plans to challenge the decision in court.

An emergency situation due to pollution has been in effect in Elektrėnai since March 24, after the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) found that VAATC had not addressed excessive hydrogen sulphide emissions at the Kazokiškės landfill. The EPD had previously warned it would seek enforcement action if the violations continued.