“The challenges ahead of us are to increase the amount of recycled waste in the future,” said Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Reneta Koleva at a conference on the topic “From waste management to resource management”, organized yesterday by the French Institute in Bulgaria.

Attaining resource efficiency means achieving the national goals that Bulgaria set in the waste management plan - up to 65% recycled waste by 2035 and up to 10% landfilling. Local authorities have a key role in achieving these goals, and the state is committed to providing financial instruments to support this process.

“Apart from increasing the amount of recycled waste, the other challenge relates to the design of products - the design and production should be oriented towards the more efficient use of raw materials and subsequent recycling,” added Deputy Minister Koleva.

She reminded that waste is a resource, therefore as a society we must focus on its efficient use. “Buying second-hand goods, repairing, sharing, and renting products are all part of the circular economy,” said Reneta Koleva. The national waste management policy gives priority to separate waste collection at the source. That is why municipalities must speed up building sites for the waste deposition by households.

Asya Dobrudzhalieva, the Chairman of the Management Board of the Association of Municipal Ecologists in Bulgaria, agreed that waste should be separated at the source. According to Fabrizio Macaglia, an expert on local waste management policies at the University of Tours in France, implementation of the circular economy requires the necessary infrastructure.

At the end of the conference, a discussion was held, during which Deputy Minister Reneta Koleva gave additional information in response to questions by participants. She also emphasized that the doors of the Ministry of Environment and Water are open for discussion on the topic of effective waste management.