Waste Management in Estonia
Future Challenges
Margit Rüütelmann
Estonian Waste Management Association
Waste Recycling Cluster
Estonian Waste Management Association
Established in 1996 by 26 waste management
companies.
In 2006 over 50 members
Today 40 members, 13 individual members
The mission of EWMA is to stand for the common
interests of the members and to develop waste
management in Estonia directed by the general
principles of sustainable development.
Waste generation
The dominating waste sources are:
oil shale mining
oil shale chemistry
power production
Municipal waste forms about 3-4 % of the total
amount of waste.
Waste generation
Generated waste in million tons:
Year
Total
Hazardous
Recycled
%
2006
20,0
6,7
7,5
37,3%
2007
21,3
8,6
6,7
31,7%
2008
19,3
7,7
5,8
30,2 %
2009
15,6
6,8
4,4
28,3%
Generation of MSW
Year
Total
Recycled
Landfilled
Recycling %
2006
593 267
179 703
373 270
30,3%
2007
644 881
120 466
390 122
18,7%
2008
502 540
113 393
333 130
22,6%
2009
441 326
97 861
287 062
22,2%
2010
246 851
-13,5%
Waste generation, 2010
 Waste taken to the landfill sites
incl. MSW
Landfilled
353 518 tons
268 938 tons
286 475 tons
incl. MSW
 Recycled by landfill operators
246 851 tons
67 043 tons
Composition of MSW
MSW in EU 25
Waste generation
Number of inhabitants: 1,34 million (01.01.2010)
Total amount of waste generated – 15,6 million tons
11,6 tons/person
Generation of municipal waste – 441 326 tons
329 kg/person
Landfills
National Waste Management Plan 2002-2007 7-9 landfill sites in Estonia
The closure process of non-compliant landfill
sites started in 2001
In 1999 Estonia had 351 municipal landfills
July 16th, 2009
6 compliant landfill sites (5 for municipal
waste +1 for hazardous waste)
Landfills in 1999
Landfills in 2011
Pollution Charge
Pollution charge for release of waste into the environment
2008
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
8,5 EUR per ton of waste
14,38 EUR
17,25 EUR
20,77 EUR
24,86 EUR
29,84 EUR
Gate fee in landfill sites for MSW is about 50 EUR/t.
Pollution Charge
3/4 of the pollution charge goes to the local authority
for the development of waste management in the area.
Restriction
If local authority has not fulfilled the obligation to
administer organized municipal waste collection – no
pollution charge.
Organized Municipal Waste Collection
 Obligation since January 1st, 2005.
 Organized municipal waste collection covers
municipal waste from households and enterprises.
 The aim of organised municipal waste collection is to
get almost all municipal waste holders covered with
contracts.
Organized Municipal Waste Collection
 About 220 local authorities.
 Low-density areas.
 Co-operation between small local authorities.
 Report of National Audit Office - 43% of local
authorities do not have organised municipal waste
collection.
Organized Municipal Waste Collection
Until Dec.31st, 2010 – competition to grant
special or exclusive right to collect waste
within certain transport area.
Since Jan.1st 2011 – competitions according to
the rules provided by Public Procurement Act
– services concession.
 In-house agreements are prohibited.
Future Perspectives
National Waste Management
Plan 2008 - 2013
General trends defined:
 Separate collection of
waste
 MBT
 Recovered fuels
 Mass incineration
Treatment capacities, MSW
Company
2010
2011 - 2013
Tallinn Landfill Ltd RDF
40 000 tons MSW
100 000 tons MSW
March 2011
Ragn-Sells
RDF
-
120 000 tons MSW
Autumn 2011
Estonian Energy,
Iru Heat and Power
Plant
Mass incineration
-
220 000 tons MSW
June 2013
TOTAL:
440 000 tons
Treatment capacities, MSW
Re-use and recycling
+
RDF, mass incineration
440 000 tons/year
+
Capacity of 5-6 landfills
(in 2010 - 286 000 tons of waste was landfilled )
Generation of MSW
450 – 500 000 tons/year
Overcapacity – competition between treatment facilities.
RDF incineration
Kunda Nordic Cement
2010
23 000 tons of recovered fuels incinerated
incl 12 000 tons of RDF
incl 6 000 tons of RDF produced in Estonia
2011
29 000 tons of recovered fuels
RDF produced in Estonia was also exported to
Latvia – Cemex.
Waste Recycling Cluster
What is a cluster?
The objectives of the cluster
– To increase the added value of the companies
– To increase the sales of the products-services and
export.
Driving force
– Co-operation between the companies of the same
and different sectors and research & educational
institutions.
Project partners
 17 companies
 15 waste management companies
 road building company
 cement company
 3 research and educational institutions
 Estonian University of Life Sciences
 Tallinna Technical University
 Tartu University Türi Colledge
Cluster is open to new partners.
Cluster development
1. Dec, 2009 – Nov, 2010
Preliminary projects – Compost production and
production of recycled aggregates from C&D waste.
2. Jan.01, 2011 – Dec.31, 2013
Waste Recycling Cluster
Co-financed by Enterprise Estonia from the European
Regional Development Fund.
Main objectives of
Waste Recycling Cluster
1. To increase the amounts of waste recycled in Estonia.
2. Products compliant to quality standards and sertified:
– Compost
– Recycled aggregates
– Recovered fuels
3. To increase production capacity and volumes, joint
marketing.
4. To increase sales of the products-services and export.
Waste -> Products
Waste Recycling Cluster
Production of
recovered fuels
Production of
recycled aggregates
Production of
compost
Activities
• Study-trips -> acquire the knowledge and experiences
other countries, partners search.
• Research - > market research, quality of the
products, capacity sharing.
• Seminars, conferences.
• Development of training programs for the employees.
• Participation in other projects.
Production of compost
Production of compost
Production of compost
Production of recycled aggregates
Production of recycled aggregates
Production of RDF
RDF in Kunda Nordic Cement
Contacts
Margit Rüütelmann
margit@ejkl.ee
www.ejkl.ee
Thank you for your attention!