PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
According to the latest figures (2019), Pomorie Municipality only achieved a rate of 31% of recycled household waste, against a target of 50%.
Biodegradable waste is not yet collected separately in Pomorie. However, the Pomorie Municipality Waste Management Programme 2021-2028 (WMP) foresees that green and food waste should be collected separately and transported for processing in the regional anaerobic plant for bio-waste. This plant is currently under construction, financed by the EU European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and will begin operations in 2023. The WMP also envisages that the municipality will build a composting plant for green waste from parks and gardens with its own funds.
As in all municipalities in Bulgaria, the waste fee paid by households is determined based on the property tax. The municipality currently does not have the experience, capacity or means to design and build an integrated information system for accounting for and charging households and businesses based on the amounts of waste generated. Nor does it have the capacity or means to carry out the necessary large-scale awareness campaigns to inform its population of such measures.
The new EU and Bulgarian circular economy and waste management policies provide ambitious waste targets. To achieve them, Bulgarian municipalities need to take immediate measures to adopt a new circular approach to waste management. However, they do not have sufficient capacity or knowledge to transform their current waste management systems, which are characterised largely by landfilling of waste.
OBJECTIVES
The project pioneers an innovative holistic approach to household waste management in Bulgaria. It will increase the capacity of Pomorie Municipality (MP) to develop, implement and manage a new integrated waste management system, in cooperation and dialogue with relevant stakeholders.
The project aims to provide software, technical and institutional infrastructure for the collection of mixed and separately collected household waste, and to implement new door-to-door waste collection and pay as you throw (PAYT) schemes. The objectives will be achieved by applying a combination of information technology and communication (ITC) technologies, innovative waste collection schemes, financial instruments for enforcement of the polluter-pays principle, and awareness raising and engagement of stakeholders.
The project’s specific objectives are to:
Increase the capacity of Pomorie Municipality to develop, implement and administer a new integrated waste management system and to work in cooperation and constant dialogue with the stakeholders.
Ensure the software, technical and institutional infrastructure required for the collection of mixed and separately collected household waste.
Implement door-to-door waste collection and PAYT.
Increase the knowledge and engagement of citizens so they apply good environmental practices for sustainable consumption, prevention and separate collection of waste.
Promote large-scale replication in other Bulgarian municipalities.
Contribute to the implementation of the WMP.
RESULTS
The expected results of the project are:
The development and implementation of an innovative holistic approach in waste management for achieving the objectives of the EU legislation and policy on circular economy and waste by implementing good European practices.
The increased capacity of the Pomorie Municipality in circular waste management.
The general public and stakeholders are informed about issues related to EU circular economy and waste management policies.
Residents will be able to practice sustainable consumption, prevention and separate collection of waste.
A large-scale replication of the good European practice introduced under the project is catalysed in other Bulgarian municipalities.
