More than 457 000 people who live in Hunedoara County in western Romania will benefit from a new waste management system which aims to deliver more recyclable wastes, while sending less rubbish to landfill.
- 16 December 2014
This project integrates all necessary measures for the separation, collection, transport, treatment, recycling and disposal of waste. In addition, the investment includes a public awareness campaign designed to encourage people to separate their rubbish and to recycle more.
Improving recycling rates
The new system provides a 100 % collection rate for mixed waste in the County’s urban and rural areas. This will be achieved with the introduction of separate waste collections, the promotion of home composting and the construction of a bio-waste treatment facility (MBT).
By 2016, the measures should reduce the quantity of biodegradable waste going to landfill to 35 %, based on the quantity being dumped in 1995. Another objective is to improve recycling rates by 2016 to 60 % for glass, paper and cardboard, 50 % for metal, 22.5 % for plastic, and 15 % for wood.
All these progresses should contribute to the reduction of illegal dumping, which in turn reduces health risks for the local population. Improving hygienic conditions, the scheme will have a positive effect on the environment. In addition, introducing a reliable solid waste management system should make the County a more attractive place in which to invest.
A comprehensive scheme
The investment package provides the following elements:
Construction of a new central waste management facility at Bircea Mare, which is capable of sorting 33 753 tonnes of waste per year. The MBT plant has the capacity to deal with 82 379 tonnes of biodegradable waste every year;Construction of a sorting station and transfer station at Petrosani with capacities of 15 980 tonnes/year and 42 600 tonnes/year respectively;The purchasing of bins, home-composters and containers for special waste; andA new landfill which has a storage capacity of 1.1 million m3.This scheme also calls for the closure and rehabilitation of 9 local landfills which do not meet current or future environmental requirements. In addition, the project is expected to provide 288 jobs upon completion.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Integrated waste management system in Hunedoara County” is EUR 70 636 566, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 43 592 526 from the Operational Programme “Environment” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period. Work falls under the priority “Development of integrated waste management systems and rehabilitation of historically contaminated sites”.