Russian environmental operator commented on the proposal to create a construction waste collection system

The press service of the Russian Environmental Operator (REO) told Kommersant that “people regularly have a need to remove non-standard waste, but the regional operator refuses to do this.” This is how REO responded to a request to comment on the initiative of the company’s general director Denis Butsaev to collect construction waste separately. The day before, Mr. Butsayev announced plans to introduce in the near future a system of separate collection of waste not related to municipal solid waste (MSW), including the creation of special sites for the collection of construction waste.

Denis Butsaev explained to Kommersant that construction waste breaks the pressing equipment of garbage trucks and sorting equipment. This happens because in most regions such waste ends up in regular containers. “We need to use other methods for processing them,” the head of REO is sure. “Construction waste can be crushed and crushed stone can be made from it.”

Mr. Butsaev refers to the international practice of collecting waste that is not related to MSW: this is not only repair waste, but also car tires, bulky waste, branches and leaves, electronics, batteries, ash from stove heating and much more, he explains. The REO press service also noted that in some regions there is already a separate system for collecting such waste. In particular, the Megabak system operates in the Moscow region.

Some of the waste from the planned sites will be collected by recyclers within the framework of the extended producer responsibility system, and some will be transferred to regional operators, the REO believes. They also expect to launch the system in test mode over the next several years and, after a pilot period, distribute it everywhere.

Separately, the press service of REO commented on the possible tightening of liability for consumers for non-compliance with the rules for separate waste collection. The REO believes that it will be possible to talk seriously about this only after the creation of a working waste collection system, which has not yet been implemented.

Polina Yachmennikova