Latvia urged to tighten landfill rules for waste suitable for recycling or energy recovery
An opinion piece in Latvian business daily Dienas Bizness argues that Latvia should discuss stricter landfill conditions while investing in domestic recycling and recovery capacity. Otherwise, resources and money will keep flowing abroad.
Latvia should introduce stricter conditions for landfilling waste, but only alongside investment in domestic recycling and energy recovery, according to a view published by the Latvian business daily Dienas Bizness. The topic is pressing because a European Union (EU) target limits landfilling to no more than 10% of municipal waste generated by 2035.
How landfill volumes are changing
Data from the State Environmental Service show that Latvian landfills received about 285,000 tonnes of waste in 2021 and 199,000 tonnes in 2025. The article argues that the current approach alone will not be enough, and that solutions are needed for waste that still ends up in landfills after sorting and treatment. New recycling and recovery capacity takes years to build, so decisions must be made now.
Why landfilling remains cheaper
Landfilling waste is still cheaper than using it for energy recovery, so the landfill remains the financially favoured option. Some Latvian waste is shipped to Sweden, where it is used to produce heat and electricity. Latvia pays for collection and transport, while the energy is used in Sweden.
One proposal worth assessing is a ban on landfilling waste with a calorific value above seven megajoules per kilogram. The technologies available in Latvia must also be considered. Other EU countries already apply stricter rules, for example on the organic content of waste or on landfilling combustible waste. Such rules will only make sense if the composition of waste delivered to landfills can be checked and monitored.
A clear signal for investors
A ban alone will not create a new recycling plant. Investors need to know what materials they will receive, how well sorted they will be and whether there will be buyers for the output. Regulation should therefore state which restrictions are coming and when they take effect. Capacity of planned domestic plants should match the volume of non-recyclable waste.
Economic benefit
Waste recovery abroad costs roughly 130–170 euros per tonne, of which 60–100 euros is the gate fee for accepting the waste. With local capacity, this money would go to Latvian companies that create jobs and pay taxes, and the heat and electricity could be used in Latvia. The state and the industry should therefore agree on which waste will no longer be landfilled and from what date.
