National Waste Management Plan 2014-2020 (extended until the end of 2022) is a strategic development plan for the field that organises and guides waste handling in Estonia, the aim of which is to systematically regulate and organise waste handling at all levels of the field: local governments, entrepreneurs, producers and population. The strategy of waste management plan implements the principle of waste hierarchy. The material related to the National Waste Management Plan 2014-2020 is available on the website of the Ministry of the Environment.
To give an opinion to the Environmental Board, send a letter at info@keskkonnaamet.ee.
The task of the local government is to organise separate collection of waste (incl. technical requirements for collection containers and the use of public collection containers). The waste handling rules are approved by a regulation of a municipal council and more detailed requirements are set:
- How a waste producer and a waste handler must collect and handle the waste
- Requirements for collection methods and containers
- Conditions related to organised waste transport for the size of the waste transport area and the types of waste transported
The waste handling rules must definitely include:
- Organising the collection of paper and cardboard, plastics, metals, glass, biodegradable waste, non-biodegradable garden and park waste, packaging, wood, textiles, bulky waste (e.g. furniture), products of concern (e.g. electronic equipment) and hazardous waste.
- Waste collection site or sites where waste collected by organised waste transport services shall be delivered for further transport
- Requirements for development of separate collection of waste, and the corresponding time limits for specific types of waste
- Information on the collection sites and separate collection of construction and destruction waste
- Collection of bio waste from the place of waste generation, regardless of the number of apartments, seats, employees (no later than 31 December 2023)
- Organisation of separate collection of textile waste (no later than 1 January 2025).
The listed and other points set out in § 39 of the Waste Act must be included in the waste handling rules as of the amendment of the rules, but not later than 31 December 2023.
When preparing and updating the waste management plan, it is necessary to be guided by the national development plan by setting the objectives for the development of the waste sector at the local level and by setting out an action plan.
The waste management plan must definitely include:
- Separate collection of waste suitable for recycling or other recovery, in particular municipal and biodegradable waste, a plan to achieve deposit reduction and measures taken to limit depositing
- A plan for handling packaging and packaging waste
- Relevant qualitative and quantitative indicators and target rates
- Measures to reduce waste generation, including reducing the formation of marine litter and cleaning
- If an exemption in separate collection is required, this must be handled, analysed and justified in the waste management plan. If exceptions are not included in the waste management plan, they are not allowed.
The listed and other points set out in § 42 of the Waste Act must be included in the waste management plan as of the amendment of the waste management plan, but not later than by 31 December 2023.
The waste management plan must definitely set out the deadlines for sorting and developing all wastes by type, as set out in the Regulation "Sorting procedure of municipal waste and the basis for the classification of the sorted waste".
Organised waste transport is one of the waste handling measures aimed at reducing waste generation and increasing the quality of separate collection of waste (including bio-waste).
Organised waste transport must include:
- Separate collection of bio-waste at the place of waste generation
- It must meet the target of recycling of municipal waste
- Waste management facility or facilities where recycling of waste is ensured
A local government must ensure the above-listed points and other points set out in § 66 - § 66 of the Waste Act as of the new procurements for organised waste transport, but not later than on 31 December 2025.
The more types of waste a local government includes for recycling at the waste management facility by means of organised waste transport, the better the targets of required municipal waste for recycling can be achieved. In case of recovery, burning and disposal to limited extent for getting energy, does not help to achieve the targets.
In order to facilitate separate collection of waste among residents and to provide as convenient possibility as possible, a local government is obliged to organise a public procurement independently in cooperation with other local governments or institutions, in order to find a provider of waste transport services.
- The basic documents of the public procurement of the concession agreement for the provision of organised waste transport services shall be submitted to the Environmental Board for comments before the commencement of the public procurement.
- If necessary, the Environmental Board shall submit proposals for supplementing or amending the documents within two weeks of receipt of the basic documents of the public procurement.
- Waste handling organised by local governments is regulated by Chapter 4 of JäätS.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Annika Pertman
Chief Specfialist
Last updated: 03.09.2024
