Every year, Estonian households generate around 400 000 tonnes of waste, or 300 kilograms per person. Separate collection of waste is compulsory in Estonia under the Waste Act.
Valga municipality has adopted a Waste Management Code, the aim of which is to maintain a clean and healthy living environment in Valga municipality, to reduce the amount of waste and to promote waste recovery.
The Valga Municipality has prepared a guide for the residents of Valga Municipality on separate collection of waste, which aims to give people information on how to sort household waste and which waste is suitable for which container. The guide focuses in particular on the sorting of mixed municipal waste, biodegradable waste, paper/cardboard and mixed packaging.
General conditions and sorting instructions:
- General terms and conditions
- Minimum requirements for detached and terraced houses
- Minimum requirements for apartment buildings
- Minimum requirements for an undertaking
- composting guide
- sorting guide
- sorting guide in Russian
- Annex to the sorting guide for regulated waste shipments
- Annex to the sorting instructions for organised waste shipments in Russian
Waste reduction and prevention
In the longer term, the aim is to move increasingly towards waste reduction and prevention. The amount of materials recycled must increase.
In order to move towards better waste management, everyone should avoid waste generation in the first place, and if this proves impossible, prepare as much waste as possible for re-use - recycling or other forms of recovery. Doing so will significantly reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
Examples of how to reduce and prevent waste:
- Drink water from the tap.
- Avoid consuming over-packaged products, give preference to products packaged in paper or cardboard, avoid products in plastic or tin packaging that cannot be recycled.
- When you go to the shop, take your own cloth or plastic bag.
- Print less, use two-sided printing.
Examples of how to reuse things:
- Recycle old clothes and toys.
- Take your bag with you when you go to the shop.
- Give preference to packaging that is returnable or refillable.
- Buy second-hand or swap things with friends and acquaintances.
- Give new life to old things and materials.
- Fix things and repair lost machines.
