Old Newspapers in Latvia: Recycled, but Not Collected Separately
Old newspapers are being recycled into new products in Latvia and abroad, but currently in Latvia they are not collected separately — they are collected together with cardboard packaging. This could change if requirements for producers and importers placing products on the market are revised.
The secondary use of old newspapers remains relevant both in Latvia and in other countries. Discarded newspapers are turned into new products, which means paper waste retains its value as a raw material and is included in the circular economy.
At present, Latvia’s waste management system does not collect newspapers as a separate waste stream. They end up together with cardboard packaging, so different types of paper waste are processed together. This arrangement means that old newspapers are not sorted on their own, even though the material could technically be suitable for separate handling.
Possible changes are linked to the regulations that apply to placing products on the market. If the responsible authorities adjust the requirements for producers and importers, the management of waste newspapers could be reorganised. In particular, old newspapers might be collected separately from cardboard in the future, which would change their route to recycling.
Thus, the recycling of old newspapers into new products takes place both locally and abroad, but the future scenario depends largely on regulatory adjustments. If these are introduced, waste flows could be rearranged, giving newspapers a distinct place in the recycling system.
