Mixed Waste Collection to Become Sharply More Expensive from July 1 in Estonia

From July 1, Estonian households will see a 30 to 50 percent increase in the cost of mixed municipal waste collection. The hike is tied to higher pollution charges imposed on waste incineration and landfilling. The processing fee for waste incineration and landfilling will rise two- to threefold as of Wednesday. Waste collection companies, including AS Eesti Keskkonnateenused and Ragn-Sells, pay these charges to the state per ton of waste processed, prompting them to request local governments to raise collection prices.

According to Bruno Tammaru, a member of the management board at Eesti Keskkonnateenused, Estonia's largest waste collection company, the price increase will primarily affect mixed municipal waste collection and households that do not sort their waste. "The reason is that Estonia is not currently recycling as much waste as the European Union wants us to. This tax is intended to provide an incentive," Tammaru said. Most local governments have approved the requests, meaning households across Estonia will face higher regular expenses starting Wednesday.

Rene Kintsiraud, Deputy Rural Municipality Mayor of Põlva, explained the impact on residents: "If we take a typical apartment building in Põlva Rural Municipality, there's usually a 2.5-cubic-meter container. If emptying it previously cost €56, it will now cost €66. If it's emptied four times a month or even twice a month, the impact is still €20, €30 or €40, depending on the building type, and that cost is ultimately borne by the apartment owner—the resident."

The legislative change also affects waste sent to landfills, including construction waste and bulky items like sofas. "The pollution charge is based on tonnage and an additional €60 per metric ton will now be added. So if disposing of waste at a recycling center or landfill previously cost around €60 or €70 per metric ton, that price will now simply double," Tammaru added.