Recycling posibilities of the packaging waste in Latvia

The problems connected with packaging management have been increasingly discussed in Latvia, namely, the introduction of the deposit system on beverage packaging, limited capacity for recycling packaging waste as well as challenges and possibilities for enterprises related to the fulfillment of requirements in the waste sector, including packaging waste management, set out in the EU Directives and transposed into the legislative acts of the Republic of Latvia. The aim of this paper is to do research on the recycling possibilities for packaging waste in this country, to identify the main problems and positive aspects in this area, and, as a result, to provide recommendations for the improvement of the packaging waste recycling system in Latvia. The following issues have been considered: importance of the packaging waste management; legal framework for packaging waste in Latvia as a Member State of the European Union; the produced and recycled amount of packaging waste in Latvia; and packaging waste recycling enterprises. The main research methods used in this paper are the review of legislative acts of the European Union and Latvia, research papers, literature and internet resources, statistical data analysis as well as an interview with Ruta Bendere, Chairman of the Board of the Waste Management Association of Latvia, on the topic of packaging waste management and telephone interviews with representatives from packaging recycling companies – “Paper mill “Līgatne”” Ltd. and “V.L.T.” Ltd. on the issue of packaging waste recycling capacity. The authors conclude: The Europe 2020 Strategy sets the objective to ensure a resource-efficient Europe, for example, by turning waste into a resource. At present, Latvia has not achieved the necessary recycling and recovery rate of the total produced packaging volume required by the European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste. Almost a half of the packaging waste produced in Latvia is exported abroad as a result of higher prices for the packaging waste materials offered by foreign companies as well as by limited recycling capacities for some packaging waste materials, e.g. glass, in Latvia. There is potential for business development by recycling companies in Latvia