Biowaste recycling technologies in Latvia

Abstract

Protection of environment is a worldwide problem. Generation of organic waste is increasingand strategies for its environmentally sound use must be developed and optimised.Accumulation of great quantities of organic wastes leads to the serious environmentalproblems: polluted water, contaminated soils, polluted air and solid wastes. Waste watertreatment plants produce in large quantities sewage sludge. Among the different types ofmunicipal organic wastes sewage sludge is the main product.Waste Management plan for Latvia sets that disposed biodegradable waste amount till 2010must not exceed 75 % from the biodegradable waste amount disposed in 1995. Proposal forthe Strategy on biodegradable waste management were elaborated by Waste ManagementAssociation of Latvia (WMAL), and in collaboration with Institute of Microbiology andBiotechnology, University of Latvia an approbation of organic municipal waste compostingtechnologies is performed in the frames of LIFE - ENVIRONMENT program project in Rigadistrict.