Dumping rubbish in landfills to be more expensive

Using landfills will become more expensive in Slovakia as the Environment Ministry is planning to draft a new bill on charges for waste disposal, stated Environment Minister Laszlo Sólymos (Most-Híd) at a press conference on Tuesday. According to Sólymos, the fees for waste disposal in Slovakia are among the lowest in the EU, as the disposal of one tonne of waste in Slovakia costs between €4.98 - €9.96. The majority of waste generated in Western countries is being recycled; however, this fact doesn't apply to Slovakia. "We have to say goodbye to waste dumps," said Sólymos, noting that until the fees for waste disposal don't go up, the number of waste dumps won't decrease. The issue should be addressed by the prepared amendment to the law on waste which is set to get rid of red tape. "The current law is full bureaucracy, mainly for entrepreneurs," said Sólymos. Moreover, the Environment Ministry is likely to launch a tender for a new waste management information system later this week. Thanks to the new system, the state administration, municipalities, the companies operating in waste management as well as the public will gain comprehensive access to data on the generation and management of waste, data concerning recycling and burning sites as well as information about waste dumps and collection sites.