Frequently asked questions

Once the waste truck has completed its route and collected the waste, the onward journey of the waste depends on the type of waste collected. The recyclables are sent to the sorting plant of “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd., where they are sorted on a sorting line. The materials that are not recyclable are separated and sent to landfill, while those that are recyclable are sorted into fractions (paper, cardboard, PET bottles, plastic, metal, etc.) and taken to the partners of “Eco Baltia vide” for recycling.

With sustainability and environmental preservation in mind, “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. is committed to ensuring that waste sorting is accessible to a wide range of the population and that the amount of waste that is recycled continues to grow. It is expected that the sorting plant of “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. will be operational as early as 2024, which will have expanded possibilities for sorting waste, including unsorted municipal waste.

Depending on the type of waste, the path it takes after collection can vary. The car that collects the light packaging goes to the waste sorting line, where the waste is sorted again into the specified fractions. Paper, cardboard, PET bottles, metal packaging and various plastics are separated separately so they can be recycled. Glass, textiles, waste electrical equipment, batteries and other materials collected separately by inhabitants are sent to various partners of “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. for recycling. Separately collected bio-waste is used to produce electricity, heat and compost.

In order to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and at the same time increase the amount of recycled materials, “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. is working on the construction of a new sorting plant, which will expand the capacity for sorting waste, including unsorted municipal waste, which is currently sent to landfill for disposal.

Each of the collected materials has its own recycling path and is used to make a variety of new materials. There are many types of plastics and many different products in the production of which recycled plastics are used. For example, PET bottles are recycled into pellets, which are turned into new PET bottles, household items, textiles, toys, disposable crockery, etc. Plastic films, cans and other products are also turned into flakes or pellets, which are used as recycled material in the production of a wide range of products.

Glass is one of the most natural packaging materials and can be successfully recycled an infinite number of times to produce new glass packaging. The paper and cardboard collected is recycled to make new paper products – packaging, drawing paper, hygiene products, etc.

Metal, foam and other materials can also be valuable resources that, if collected separately and recycled, save the environment and resources.

At the waste transfer point, each waste collection vehicle is weighed before and after unloading to record the volume of waste transferred. Waste managers are obliged to record the volume of waste transported in the National Waste Shipment Accounting Information System (NWIS) in accordance with the requirements of laws and regulations. The system controller and holder is the State limited liability company “Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre”. Waste managers shall also provide information on the volume of waste shipped and treated (including sorted) in a calendar year by completing in the online of the abovementioned system the official environmental statistics and polluting activity reporting form “No. 3-Waste. Report on waste”.

Sorting and collecting of waste properly and responsibly is the best way to increase the amount of waste that is recycled. Read HERE about how to sort your waste properly.

“Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. is constantly working to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Data show that “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. recycles around 30% of all waste collected, and this amount has a tendency to rise. A large part of all waste collected is unsorted municipal waste, which is currently subject to limited sorting. However, around 98% of separately collected waste is recycled.

“Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. is working on the construction of a new sorting plant, which will expand the capacity for sorting waste, including unsorted municipal waste, which is currently sent to landfill for disposal.

“Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. cooperates with several companies to ensure that waste is recycled and raw materials enter the secondary cycle. Within the “Eco Baltia” Group, there is close cooperation in plastics recycling with “PET Baltija” and “Nordic Plast” Ltd., ensuring that the collected material is recycled here in Latvia. For recycling of other materials, we engage the best partners in the Baltics and Europe for environmentally friendly waste recycling.

It is very important not only to recognise different types of hazardous waste, but also to know how and where to dispose of them. “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. collects certain hazardous waste and environmentally hazardous waste, such as batteries, accumulators and end-of-life electrical equipment. For collection of other hazardous waste, please contact specialised hazardous waste management operators.

“Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. is always looking for new and innovative ways to make waste management more environmentally friendly, for example by expanding the range of separately collected waste and improving infrastructure.

“Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. will soon implement several large and innovative waste management projects. One of the biggest innovation projects is the construction of a new sorting plant, which will improve the efficiency of waste sorting and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. A new sorting yard for construction waste is also planned to recycle building materials that are still useful. The company aims to increase the sorting of construction waste and increase sorting by 80% in 2025 compared to 2022.

Also, a repair point for end-of-life electrical appliances is planned to open as early as 2024, which will ensure that end-of-life electrical appliances that can be repaired get a second life.

At the same time, “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. invests in more environmentally friendly waste collection vehicles. To reduce the company’s CO₂ footprint, 13 more environmentally friendly waste collection trucks powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) are being used in the fleet in 2023. “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. aims to have 30% of its waste collection vehicles powered by compressed natural gas by 2025. The introduction of an internal logistics and transport system has also resulted in a 5% fuel efficiency.

The main way to reduce the amount of waste generated in your business is to prevent it from happening in the first place. So – consume less. However, if you need to buy something, it is advisable to avoid disposable items or items that have a short lifespan. It is possible to give a second life to things that are no longer useful by repurposing them, recycling them or donating them to charity.

The cooperation partner “Latvijas Zaļais punkts” of “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. invites you to follow the 5P principle – say “no” or refrain from buying, rethink, reuse, repurpose and recycle. These principles not only help to increase the amount of recycled materials, but can also help to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

In order to optimise the sorting process in companies, there are a number of principles that are recommended. First, there needs to be adequate infrastructure – accessible waste containers or bins and information on what can go in them. It is worth moving away from individual bins placed at each employee’s workstation to communal bins that allow for waste sorting.

To reduce the volume of printed sheets of paper, the option of printing with identification at the printer can be introduced – it has been observed that if a staff member has to go to the printer to confirm printing, the volume of printing decreases. Internal initiatives can be developed – cleanliness days, sorting competitions – to encourage employee involvement in waste sorting. To reduce packaging waste, it is advisable to move away from bottled water and instead introduce a drinking water dispenser or system.

For companies and customers who have expressed an interest, we offer advice on waste sorting, taking into account the needs of the specific company. For up-to-date information on waste sorting, please visit our website or on the website of our cooperation partner “Latvijas Zaļais punkts”.

Knowing the number, capacity and frequency of containers for each type of waste can help to calculate the amount of waste generated and to determine whether waste management needs to be improved. If more detailed information is needed, “Eco Baltia vide” Ltd. offers reports on the volume and type of waste delivered over a certain period of time for a fee.

The entire CO₂ impact measurement process is carried out in accordance with the international standards ISO 14067 (ISO 14067: 2018 Greenhouse gases – Carbon footprint of products -Requirements and guidelines for quantification) and GHG, Greenhouse Gas Protocol product standards. These are the most popular standards for calculating greenhouse gas emissions and are used as the basis for the calculations. However, the specific Latvian legal requirements applicable to the product or service are taken into account.

Eco Baltia vide’s quality, environmental, occupational safety and energy management systems comply with international standards ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 14064-1:2018, ISO 45001:2018 and ISO 50001:2018, as confirmed by the certificates awarded by DNV Latvia. All management systems are continuously improved to ensure sustainable and efficient operations. (We are ISO 45001:2018 certified this year 2023.)