On 27-28 August, at the invitation of the Lithuanian Association of Regional Waste Management Centres, a delegation from the Estonian Centre of Excellence for Recycling visited Lithuania, bringing together representatives from various parts of the country’s waste management sector. Laurynas Virbickas, Director of Kaunas RATC, who coordinated the visit, stressed that such exchanges are mutually beneficial as they not only provide an opportunity to exchange ideas, but also allow presenting Lithuania’s achievements and looking for innovative solutions to improve the infrastructure of both countries.
The first stop was at UAB “Waste Management Centre”, which recycles a wide range of waste – from electronics, filters, shock absorbers, batteries and tyres to scrap metal and end-of-life vehicles. The company presented plans to start recycling solar modules, an area that is becoming increasingly important as imports of solar panels increase and the country’s first solar farms come to the end of their life.
The delegation also visited EMP Recycling, a company with 25 years of experience in electronic waste management. It has the distinction of being the only certified recycling line for refrigerators in the Baltic States, with the capacity to recycle up to 520 refrigerators daily. More than 25,000 tonnes of waste are recycled per year, and an investment of more than €1 million in modern machinery ensures process efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
The next object of the visit was Ecoservice’s sorting centre, which after reconstruction has become one of the most modern in the Baltic States. Guests were able to see the exceptional safety solutions: the only certified thermal imaging fire detection system in the region and triple fire protection, including special foam cannons that can fill the entire room and extinguish the fire in ten minutes.
The second day of the visit started at the Vilnius CHP plant, which is one of the most modern in the Baltic States. Here, guests were shown how municipal waste and biofuels are converted into heat and electricity. The plant supplies around 40% of Vilnius’ district heating needs, and modern technological solutions not only ensure efficient energy production, but also significantly reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
After this visit, the delegation went to Kaunas Mechanical-Biological Processing Facility, where the Director of Kaunas RATC Laurynas Virbickas presented the technological solutions implemented in recent years, which allow to significantly increase the recovery of secondary raw materials from the mixed waste stream. The visit ended at the Alytus Regional Waste Management Centre, where, during a visit to the Takniškės Technology Park, the guests got acquainted with the treatment of mixed and food waste, composting processes and the “TikoTiks” item exchange space.
“All the visits to waste management companies were very well organised and provided a comprehensive picture of the current situation in the waste management and recycling sector. We were impressed by the investments made by the companies and the progress made in recycling materials. We believe that Lithuania and Estonia have a lot of potential for cooperation, as Estonia does not currently have similar waste management facilities, for example for household refrigerators, batteries, etc.” – Margit Rüütelmann, Coordinator of the delegation and Head of the Estonian Recycling Centre of Excellence, shared her impressions of Lithuania.
