Recycling grew significantly in Estonia last year - nearly 2.5 times more waste was directed to recycling than in 2010, the Estonian Waste Management Association reports. According to data of the association, 49% of the collected waste was directed to recycling in 2012 and 24% in 2011. Landfills and waste management plants received a total of 337 153 tons of waste last year of which 164 798 tons was directed to recycling.
"The jump in recycling was mainly due to the waste-to-fuel production launched by the Tallinn Recycling Center and Ragn-Sells. Thus, it represents investment by private businesses," chairman of the board of the Waste Management Association Aivar Lõhmus said. "At the same time former landfills have been transformed into waste management centres and their contribution to the increase in recycling is significant."
Waste management centres produce compost from biodegradable waste, direct paper, and plastic to recycling and produce energy from the waste. The waste fuel they produce goes to Kunda Nordic Tsement, where it is used in a co-production regime as replacement for oil shale in the production of cement. The calorific value of waste fuel is twice as high as that of oil shale. Last year waste fuel made up 26% of the fuel Kunda Nordic Tsement used for the production of cement clinker. Practically all of the solid waste fuel used was produced in Estonia, the association said.
The Estonian Waste Management Association was founded in 1996 as a nonprofit organisation by 26 companies active in the sector. The mission of the association is to develop waste management in the country and represent the common interests of its members. The body currently has 40 members whose combined turnover makes up around 70% of the overall turnover of the waste management market.