Bulgaria is lagging behind in terms of meeting recycling targets set in the EU circular economy package. The waste management system needs more legislative and economic incentives to meet the targets set by the EU circular economy package and other waste legislation. Experience with a separate collection scheme is rather limited and so is the responsibility of producers to help dispose of products once they are no longer in use.

Around 10 years ago, thanks to EIB financial and advisory support, Sofia put in place an ambitious plan to improve its waste management system and, at the same time, recover secondary material and supply energy. To improve the efficiency of the new waste facilities and become a circular city, Sofia had to introduce an appropriate separate waste collection scheme. The fees for household waste collection will reflect the actual amounts of waste being generated and comply with the strict national waste regulations, which are set to go into effect in 2022.

The waste department of the Municipality asked the Hub to examine the current waste collection system and propose new, more efficient approaches. The Hub’s experts are working with the Municipality to develop a new separate waste collection scheme and set appropriate waste fees for households and commercial units – separating at least 40% of the city’s waste by 2025.

The Hub will provide the Municipality with options to align its domestic and commercial waste collection system with the new European and national legislations. This support will include an estimate of the costs and benefits associated with the different options and will feature examples of successful separate waste collection schemes applied in other large European cities

The Hub’s experts will also help the Municipality identify the most appropriate sorting and treatment infrastructure to meet the city’s recycling targets and improve the performance of already existing treatment facilities. Once this project is completed, the citizens of Sofia will pay fairer and more sustainable waste bills, based on the “pay-as-you-throw” principle. Financial incentives will be put in place to strengthen separate collection to make the city more sustainable.