People sort their waste more. But there is still much to improve

Startups use sophisticated technology to give accurate data about waste.

Bio waste comprises about 45 percent of waste bins. (Source: TASR)

Košeca, a village of some 3,000 souls situated near the town of Ilava, is unique in its approach to waste sorting.

The village tries to offer complex services related to waste to its inhabitants so they do not have to seek solutions themselves. Apart from running a scrap yard and two small municipal composting plants, they also secure the collection of sorted waste. A huge benefit of the system is how direct an impact it has, said Košeca Mayor Radomír Brtáň.

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The more its inhabitants separate waste, the less they pay for disposing their nonrecyclable rubbish in the dump. It even implemented the ELWIS system developed by the JRK Slovensko firm to help it monitor waste and subsequently take necessary waste management decisions that helped them reduce the amount of municipal waste by 20 percent during the first three months.

“The best feedback is the continual improvement in various parameters, be it the reduction of waste that ends at landfills, the increase in sorted waste, and the engagement of people in attempts to increase the volume of sorted waste and reduce waste production,” Brtáň told The Slovak Spectator.

This is just one of the examples of how municipalities try to motivate their inhabitants to be more active in sorting their waste. At the same time, people become more interested in reducing the waste they produce and learning more about how they can help their environment.

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“Waste sorting and an ecological lifestyle are becoming standard behaviour,” Martina Gaislová, country manager of JRK Slovensko, told The Slovak Spectator, admitting there is still potential to improve.

Municipalities often cooperate with companies and organisations to spread awareness about waste management through various campaigns and workshops. Although activities have been affected by the pandemic, it seems they have found ways to continue.

Legislation also motivates

Among the reasons why municipalities have been investing more time and money in waste management is legislation and the increasing fees related to the collection and processing of waste, admitted Daniela Piršelová, spokesperson of the Union of Towns of Slovakia (ÚMS).

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