SLOVAKIA’s Recycling Fund should soon become history. Environment Minister Peter Žiga proposed to scrap it in his draft amendment to the law on waste, in which he also wants to prevent waste disposal facilities from purchasing scrap metal from individuals and to end the depositing of plastics, glass, paper and metal into landfills, the SITA newswire reported.
The new rules, which the minister referred to as modern European waste management legislation, should become effective as of July 2014 if passed by parliament, SITA wrote. It should make the waste disposal system more transparent, according to Žiga. As he explained, the collective companies responsible for waste will cease expanding, and will operate under the authority of the Environment Ministry.
Moreover, the new law will put more responsibility on producers and suppliers of waste. This will render the Recycling Fund redundant, since it receives fees without having any responsibility.
In order to use the facilities more effectively, the amendment prohibits the disposal of plastic, glass, paper and metal in landfills. Villages will be required to create a site where producers and suppliers collect the waste.
The Association of Towns and Villages (ZMOS) has objected to eliminating the Recycling Fund, saying that it is necessary until an effective legislative framework establishing greater responsibility of producers and importers for waste is passed, SITA wrote.
