Orange waste bags available in limited locations, but municipality insists system works

Vilnius residents are encouraged to sort food waste into orange bags, but the system has faced criticism as the bags are not available in all stores, LRT.lt reports.

The capital’s municipality defends the system, stating it is functional and based on the experience of other countries. However, politicians argue it is ineffective and merely symbolic.

Vilnius has used the orange bag system for food waste sorting for two years. Residents place food waste in these bags before disposing of them in mixed waste containers. The debate over its effectiveness intensified amid a waste management crisis in the Vilnius region.

Liberal politician Simonas Gentvilas previously claimed that food waste containers in Vilnius are locked, and orange bags for sorting are not sold in shopping centres. Ieva Budraitė, leader of the Lithuanian Green Party, called the system a “mockery” of proper food waste collection, noting that other regions manage food waste without separate bags.

Vilnius municipality maintains that the system is working and has become an integral part of waste sorting for residents. Officials state that food waste is collected in designated containers in certain zones, including parts of Paneriai, Naujininkai, Grigiškės, Rasos, and Vilkpėdė districts. In these areas, around 7,800 containers are used, with 123 located in waste collection sites—116 of which are underground or semi-underground.

Residents, however, report that access to separate food waste containers remains limited, particularly in apartment buildings. Some readers told LRT.lt they had never encountered such containers, suggesting they may only be available to private homeowners.

The municipality has not yet clarified why access remains restricted for many apartment residents.