Solid waste management in transition

Abstract

While constructing market economies on the ruins of the central planning systems from theeastern part of Germany to the Pacific coast of Russia, many countries have faced a number ofsimilar problems in the field of the solid waste management. But in the so called 'economiesin transition' these problems were treated in different ways,The group of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe on their way to the EU membershipadopted the European principles of the SWM. They were to find an adequate solution to theessential waste problems earlier and in the very limited time period, On the other hand, thecountries that now belong to the CIS, had somewhat put the problems of the SWM aside,therefore the process is in the most cases yet in its primary stage still. On their way to theeffective SWM, these countries often orient towards the European model as well, thoughhaving more freedom in adapting it to the national circumstances.The objective of the paper presented is to analyze the common problems of the countries intransition, evaluate the effectiveness of the European shaped solutions for the EU newmember states and highlight the positive and negative points to be aware of when reformingSWM in the CIS countries.