Survey shows that Lithuanians willingly sort waste. Simple tips for those who don’t do it yet

If one Lithuanian resident had to throw away their garbage once a year, the average amount of waste would be as many as 464 kg, approximately the weight of a European female bison. Studies show that about half of this amount can be recycled to save natural resources, reduce pollution and save energy because significantly less energy is needed when energy from recycled waste is used for manufacturing, compared to the energy required to extract and process new resources. Recycling waste into reusable raw materials would not be possible without proper waste sorting.

Commissioned by the international energy company Ignitis Group, Spinter Research surveyed opinions of the public on waste sorting. The survey demonstrated that the vast majority, 91%, of Lithuanians sort the waste they routinely generate: 43% sort all their waste and 48% sort some of their waste. Based on the survey results, a higher number of women, senior respondents (aged 46+) and rural inhabitants reported sorting all their waste. Men and metropolitan inhabitants more often sorted some of their waste. Thus, still one in ten people in Lithuania do not sort waste that is left to decompose in landfills or to stay there for millennia, such as glass waste.

“We can see that for most Lithuanians the question “Do you sort your waste?” is no longer a strange one: it is becoming a daily routine and a healthy habit. Nevertheless, the fact that around a quarter of municipal waste is still going to landfills remains a major problem, and if we take into account the so-called technical compost, which cannot be used as compost in agriculture as the regular one, around half of all municipal waste ends up in landfills. We should strive to recycle as much waste as possible, and to use the non-recyclable waste for energy generation rather than landfilling it”, says Nerijus Rasburskis, Head of Ignitis Group’s Heat and Power Solutions.

To encourage a greater public interest in the principles and benefits of the circular economy, and to learn more about how to reduce and sort waste, the teams of Vilnius and Kaunas CHPs have created educational websites www.vkj.lt/ziedineekonomika and www.kkj.lt/ziedineekonomika. They explain why waste energy recovery is important, how other countries are tackling waste management issues, provide interesting facts and present the role of CHP plants in the circular economy.

Everyone can contribute to the circular economy, even by taking small steps to change consumption and waste management habits. It is worth remembering that sorting the waste that ends up in mixed municipal waste containers requires many extra resources, and the separated fractions are contaminated, which reduces the quality of the secondary raw materials and limits their further recycling. Thus, sorting recyclable waste at home is much more efficient. Proper waste sorting at the source is among the most important steps in the circular economy.

The CHP plant partners, founders of the platform TEXTALE.LT for the circular textile economy solutions, have developed some tips on how to sort waste correctly. Take note of the steps to make sorting at home easy and start following them.

• Engage the whole family. Sorting may be a fun family initiative, so remember to engage everyone in the family. You may start by playing a game to learn about the rules of sorting. Together with your children, make labels for the items you are sorting, for instance: paper, plastic, municipal waste and glass. Stick the labels on large boxes or on the wall. Then prepare a long list of different items and foodstuffs. Once you have the signs and the list, you may start playing. One member of the family reads the name of the item and the other has to stand next to the sign that shows the correct way to sort the item. It is a fun game to help develop right sorting habits.
• Find out which waste is recommended for sorting by the parties of the municipal waste management system. What may and may not be put in the sorting containers is usually indicated on the waste containers themselves. Detailed guidance on how to sort various types of waste may be found on the websites of the waste system organizers and other waste managers. There you will find information on what waste is collected in containers and where and how to dispose of specific waste types (e.g., textiles, wood, bulky, construction, hazardous, electrical and electronic waste, batteries and accumulators, tyres, etc.). Pay attention to how to properly clean the different waste streams (e.g., how to clean packaging so that it does not contaminate other waste in the container, which waste to dismantle, and which waste to keep in one peace).
• Make sure you have the necessary tools, such as multi-compartment bins or other reusable containers. If you have limited space at home, remember that you may collect clean sortable packaging and other recyclables in one bin and then separate them at the containers. The occasional bulky, electrical and electronic waste, batteries and accumulators, hazardous and other specific waste may be temporarily stored at home. When you collect a larger amount of it, take it to a bulky waste collection site. Moreover, remember to check the timetable for kerbside collection of bulky and other specific waste and the terms of other available home collection services.
• Separate what may still be used. Before throwing away an item, consider whether it may be reused. Maybe someone else may use an item you do not need. Textiles, books, household appliances, crockery, furniture or other items that are still usable may be shared through various electronic or physical platforms. It is also worth looking at other alternatives available in your area that promote item reuse: taking textiles to new clothing shops that collect textiles, donating unused items to charities, social businesses, other circular economy initiatives to help items stay in the consumption chain for as long as possible.
• Think about your purchases. Before you go shopping, make a list of the items and products you really need. When making your grocery list, first check what you have in your fridge and cupboards. Plan your meals accordingly, and only add the missing items to your shopping list. That way you will buy what you need and reduce food waste.
• Choose the right packaging. Take reusable bags before you go to the shop. Choose more sustainably produced, less packaged products when buying groceries.
• Slower but responsible. Build your sorting habits in small steps, without demanding the most of yourself. It will take time to become a matter of course.

Survey information: Opinion survey on waste management of June 2020 by Spinter Research surveyed 1,008 respondents aged between 18 and 75.

About CHP plants:

Vilnius CHP will have a total power generation capacity of approximately 100 MW, and a thermal capacity of approximately 240 MW. Vilnius CHP will generate energy from non-hazardous municipal waste and biofuels. Vilnius CHP will be able to use approximately 160,000 tonnes of waste per year. The project is financed by the European Union’s Cohesion Fund.

Kaunas CHP plant a total power generation capacity of approximately 26 MW and a heat generation capacity of approximately 70 MW. Kaunas CHP generates energy from non-recyclable municipal and non-hazardous industrial waste. KCHP can use around 200,000 tonnes of waste per year.