Belarus’ Deputy PM outlined priorities agreed at today’s meeting on waste management with President’s participation

Work on the construction of waste sorting and recycling plants should be intensified in the country – as stated by Belarus’ Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Sivak, commenting on the results of the meeting with the President on waste management and use of secondary material resources

The Deputy PM emphasised that certain problems in this area exist at all levels, “The President outlined the prospects for each stage of the process and demanded tougher responsibility for those who create these problems, e.g., littering in forests or near summer houses. He also called for mandatory decision-making on appropriate punishments.

Mr. Sivak is convinced that a waste recycling rate of 90-100 percent can be achieved at district level. When outlining the priorities set at the meeting, the Deputy PM highlighted the following, “Firstly, the President has emphasised several times that the construction of waste sorting and recycling plants is the top priority. Appropriate capacities should be built in large cities and regional centres, and operators’ investments should primarily be directed there to sort waste for recycling. This is the President’s main message.”

The meeting also discussed some of the target parameters outlined in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection’s draft strategy for waste management of production and consumption, which was submitted for public discussion. In particular, one of the strategy’s goals is to achieve a 90 percent recycling rate for municipal solid waste by 2040. These figures will be revised after discussions with the Head of State.

Following the meeting, it was also decided that the work on waste management and use of secondary material resources in the country would be regulated by one department rather than two: the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

“There will [remain] one regulator responsible for preparing regulatory documents. The rules will be the same, but all departments will carry them out,” Mr. Sivak said.