Since January 1, 2019, a new waste management system has been launched in Russia. However, what is its essence, the majority can not understand. The only tangible result so far has been a significant increase in tariffs for garbage collection.
Petersburg, as well as some other regions, received a short delay and will have to choose a single regional operator only by 2022. But in the meantime, there was still no intelligible plan for the disposal of solid municipal waste (TCR).
What is the problem of “garbage” reform, and what should be done so that Russia does not find itself on the verge of an environmental catastrophe?
Peter Levin, Project Coordinator for the Inter-Regional Public Organization “Garbage. MoreNo”:
“Selective waste collection and subsequent recycling is a more expensive procedure than their destruction. So far, only activists and small businesses have been doing this, there is enough available capacity. But in general, the necessary infrastructure in our country is in its infancy.
If all of Russia goes to separate collection, then it is necessary to restructure logistics, introduce new sorting lines, modify specific sites, solve something with food waste, which is one of the most problematic elements. All innovations require investments that can only be taken from the public. Therefore, rates and grow. On the one hand, it is necessary to take it for granted, on the other hand, it would be good to control that money is sent in the right direction.
It is also not clear for what reason incineration for energy is now actively lobbied for energy - which, of course, is a completely bad option. He solves the problem for a very short time. If we gradually increase the processing of waste, the load on incinerators will decrease, but their operation will still need to continue.
Sweden has already taken this path. It would seem that everyone puts it as an example, paying attention to environmentally friendly complexes. Only these enterprises were built forty years ago, and now the Swedes do not know what to do with them. There is no download, and to save jobs, the country imports garbage from other states.
So that this story does not repeat here, we need to carry out the garbage reform gradually. Something even should continue to bury, and not to introduce a clear moratorium. True, there immediately appears a certain danger. Some unscrupulous officials will probably decide that if you can continue to send waste to landfills, then let's do it and develop a new system.
In addition to increasing processing capacity, it is necessary to educate people who do not understand why all this is necessary. People only see that tariffs are rising. For many, for example, the transportation of waste from Moscow to Arkhangelsk is completely normal. Garbage under the window is not visible, then all is well. And if, during burning, energy also appeared — generally super.
Unfortunately, no one in Russia is engaged in long-term planning. However, the "garbage" problem does not quickly solve. Moreover, there is not a single country that has completely coped with it. The example of Japan is very indicative. First, there almost everything is burned. And secondly, the Japanese are exporting all hazardous wastes that are formed as a result to Malaysia. A good option? There are really no problems in Japan because they are in Malaysia. But the earth is round.
And in Finland there is a margin cost of packaging. But even returning people money for plastic, it is still burned. And to justify such an approach, by and large, it is quite possible. Such volume for processing is simply not needed. Finns even considered the option of transporting plastic waste to China. But they considered that the environmental damage from transportation would be greater. Therefore, it is easier to burn everything in place.
So in the end, today there is no ideal waste management system in the world, about which one could say - “this is exactly what we need”. ”
Marina Shishkina, head of the regional department of "Fair Russia" in St. Petersburg, a public figure:
“The essence of the“ garbage ”reform, which causes many protests, is this: they began to take more money from the people — but everything remained the same. It is necessary to strategically decide the question of how to recycle garbage and what to do with it. And for this, first of all, we need a territorial waste management scheme, that is, a document in which everything should be spelled out.
There are two ways here. The first one is civilized, to which I call. Garbage should be recycled as well as reduced its production. The second way is the construction of incinerators, which will have a negative impact on the environment.
In order for the “garbage” reform to work, we need a clear understanding of how we will deal with the TCR for decades to come. I don’t even talk about hazardous waste. Of course, this all can be associated with an increase in tariffs. But it is necessary not just to take money, but to interest people, to stimulate. For example, you need to enter the normal security deposit price for the bottles to go to take them. The “garbage” reform consists of many details that require careful attention. ”
Tatyana Nagorskaya, Chairman of the Board of the Association “Separate Collection”:
“Garbage reform, of course, must be based on legislation. The main thing in this area we have is Federal Law No. 89 "On Production and Consumption Wastes", adopted in 1998. At the end of 2014, revolutionary amendments were made to it, and it can be said that the reform of this industry began just then. Here it is possible to note both good points and quite controversial.
Among the good ones is the fixed hierarchy of waste management, as well as the introduction of the so-called extended producer responsibility, which should be responsible for the fate of their goods throughout the entire life cycle, including at the waste stage. This is exactly what makes it possible to subsidize the collection and processing of old packaging in European countries, because the separate collection is not profitable in itself, it must be subsidized.
Of the controversial points of reform - an artificial monopoly of the regional operator. It lies in the fact that the consumer - for example, the management company - is not able to choose among several enterprises. He is obliged to conclude an agreement only with the regional operator, who already chooses whom to involve in the transportation of MSW and under what conditions. Most of all, such a monopoly caused concern to those who understand waste management.
The situation is aggravated by the indecision of the authorities, lobbying of certain interests and “raw” legislation. And now we are reaping the benefits of the current system: a separate collection is sabotaged throughout the country. Starting from January 1, 2019, news from all sides poured in that one region removed 500 drives for recyclables, another - 1000, and the next - 1300. Selective collection to regional operators is simply not profitable - the more they bring mixed waste on sorting, the more earn their transportation. But they are not to blame, but the rules laid down in federal legislation.
Therefore, it must change. Waste from the use of goods that fall under the extended responsibility of the manufacturer must be entrusted to collect the manufacturer. For example, plastic bottles. Now the regional operator does not allow anyone to do this. And if you want to separate waste paper, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, etc., you thereby take away his earnings from the regional operator. That's the problem".
Alexey Kadochnikov, Director of the Center for Environmental Policy, Leningrad State University A. S. Pushkin:
“For some reason, the problem of garbage is practically not worth it in the developed countries of Europe and the USA. For example, Sweden is a northern country, where you need to heat your home for at least six months. And the Swedes are coping with this task, correctly recycling garbage. They receive 80% of the heat from the waste to heat their homes.
Before us, in fact, the first and foremost task is to change the mentality of the younger generations, and not to borrow the experience of others. It seems to us that we have such a huge territory, and the population is small - for our age just enough. And that's not enough. Because you can litter anything. And we are now purposefully and methodically sawing the branch on which we sit.
The formation of environmental awareness will lead to the emergence of the need to live in harmony with the outside world. A few decades ago, Germany took this route. Now the Germans have no problems with the separate collection of garbage. In the USA, they also quite simply solved this problem. Waste that goes for recycling is collected there for free. The rest of the garbage is folded into the tank, on which is attached a tag with the information that you paid fifty cents for the removal of the contents.
It should be understood that ecological culture is part of the general culture. And with her we have trouble, and this applies to all spheres of life. For example, in huge apartment buildings across the country there are trash chutes installed, into which everything rushes indiscriminately. But we harm ourselves. It would be nice for us to reach such a development of household culture, so that there is a waste chopper in each kitchen under the sink. Thus, organic matter through sewers must reach special stations, where it is then dehydrated and converted into fuel or fertilizer. This will solve many problems, including there will be no cockroaches and rats. Have you seen a lot of such shredders in Russia? And in America, they are installed in any kitchen.
Meanwhile, many useful things are being done from recyclable garbage. Probably, you noticed that now on some packages that are sold in stores, it is written: "Not less than 50-70% of secondary raw materials". So really - why cut trees when you can recycle recycled paper, cardboard, and so on? Everything lies on the surface. ”
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