Audit finds recyclable waste still being burned or sent to landfill

More residents are sorting their waste, but much recyclable material still ends up in mixed municipal waste and is ultimately burned or sent to landfill instead of being returned to the economy, according to an audit by Lithuania’s National Audit Office, LRT reported.

The audit report on municipal waste management, conducted in 2023, found that the share of residents who sorted waste rose from 40% to 60% between 2016 and 2021. However, packaging and other recyclable materials still made up about one-third of mixed municipal waste.

In 2021, mixed waste contained 240,200 tonnes of recyclable material, but only 8.5% of it was prepared for recycling. Most of the remainder was burned or taken to landfill.

Auditors said increasing recycling and the reuse of municipal waste were among the most important changes still needed. During the audit period, Lithuania recycled 596,000 tonnes of municipal waste annually, or 44.33% of the total.

Under measures to implement the audit’s recommendations, the country is expected to have the capacity to recycle an additional 128,200 tonnes of waste per year by the end of 2029. The National Audit Office said recycling infrastructure must be upgraded and expanded to handle more textiles, furniture, plastic, packaging, biological, electronic and other waste.

National Auditor Irena Segalovičienė said the waste crisis in the Vilnius region that began in July was a consequence of an inefficient overall system. She called for timely development of food, textile and other waste collection infrastructure, increased recycling capacity and more reliable data for decision-making.

“The system must enable people to sort waste, but residents themselves must also use these opportunities more actively, as too much recyclable waste still ends up in mixed waste containers,” Segalovičienė said.

The audit also found significant differences between municipalities in waste management costs. Average monthly expenses per resident ranged from 0.80 euros in Rokiškis district to 4 euros in Molėtai district. In 19 municipalities, waste collection services were not available to all residents.

Since the audit, all 60 municipalities have begun applying uniform criteria to assess whether residents are receiving waste management services. Controls on imported municipal waste have also been strengthened, with measures introduced to ensure it is recycled rather than burned or sent to landfill.

In 2021, Lithuania generated 1.34 million tonnes of municipal waste, including 728,000 tonnes of mixed municipal waste. That year, 718,000 tonnes of mixed waste was processed at 10 mechanical and mechanical-biological treatment facilities, while 472,930 tonnes of prepared municipal waste was burned for energy at three power plants.

A total of 480 million euros was invested in regional municipal waste management systems between 2000 and 2023.