/VIDEO/ Moldovan landfills, time bombs! How many tons of waste do we generate annually and how serious is the situation in the state
For nearly 10 years, we’ve had a complex waste management strategy, but we’re still not drowning in garbage. The ecological catastrophe occurs with the tacit consent of the decision-makers, who, in the absence of clear solutions, turn a blind eye to many deviations. Thousands of unauthorized dumpsites are located on the outskirts of towns, and the tons of waste are veritable foci of infection and sources of incurable diseases. Data for last year, reported by sanitation services, show that the Republic of Moldova generated almost one million 300 thousand tons of waste. 60 percent is municipal waste, i.e. that produced in households. And only 5 percent of these were collected separately. Specialists in the field also operate with other statistics. Per day, a Moldovan product between 700 and 900 grams of garbage. For the most part, the waste remains on the surface, and in a few years we risk not seeing any more of the garbage.
This is what an ecological disaster looks like, on the outskirts of Lozova. Even if there is a garbage collection service from the villagers’ gate in the locality, in the absence of a clear strategy for storing and processing this waste, it enters the natural cycle and ends up, most of the time, on people’s tables. Only in a different form.
After several attempts and refusals, we managed to talk to someone from the management of Lozova. I learned that the garbage collection and transportation service was developed through an externally funded project.
From the mayor of the village, whom I found only by phone, I learned that, until now, the town hall in the locality has not transported the plastic waste.
“We are not taking them yet. I sent you a number, I’m on vacation and don’t disturb me”, said the mayor of the village of Lozova, Lilian Botnaru.
Local people are happy to have their waste picked up in front of the gate and are open to paying for this service. And the fact that they are stored on the outskirts of the village does not worry them much
This garbage dump often catches fire, smokes and spreads toxic fumes over the village. Just as we got there, we found the fire truck trying to put out a fire. This wastes important resources of money, water and fuel. How the garbage caught fire this time, no one could tell us.
The town of Sadova. And here, at the edge of the village, there is a garbage dump, also unauthorized. I caught a van unloading a lot of garbage.
Worse is that here we found asbestos waste, an extremely toxic, dangerous and highly carcinogenic product. After the adoption of the waste law in 2016, this category needs special conditions for collection and storage.
Local authorities plan to close the landfill. When, it is not known. They had at their disposal approximately 3 million lei for the creation of a garbage collection, transport and storage system in the locality, but they did not manage to use all the money.
We also found a desolate landscape in the town of Puhoi, in the Ialoveni district. Also unauthorized, this dump is a real ticking time bomb and a hotbed of infections. Not far away is a pond, and a few meters away are fields of corn and other agricultural crops. By the mayor’s decision, a guard was appointed here. According to him, he often experiences situations where people from neighboring towns, even from Chisinau, throw waste here.
In order to allow them to throw the garbage here, the guard does not say that he requires proof of payment to the town hall. But he let this man pass without this bill. There is a man from the village, who should be available to bring the next day. He told us that he was just helping a woman and that some of the things were good for trash, so he took them home.
I spoke to the head of the Environmental Protection Inspectorate about the situation at the Puhoi landfill. He told us that, as a rule, sanctions are applied to the decision-makers and the liquidation of these illegal ramps is demanded.
The mayor of Puhoi was also fined, after an episode of setting fire to the garbage dump.
Although he is aware of the problems caused by these landfills, he has no other solutions at the moment.
However, according to the Environment Agency, there are at least two solutions to put an end to the thousands of unauthorized landfills that are rising near the localities in the country. One is the creation of eight regional platforms, within the Waste Management Strategy. Although the strategy started in 2013, it is still unknown when these platforms will appear.
Another solution is garbage sorting, and municipalities can implement the mechanism without asking for help from central public authorities.
According to the data reported in the Information System, in the Republic of Moldova, in 2021, approximately 1,229 thousand tons of waste were generated. The largest share – over 60 percent – is municipal waste. And only about 5 percent of these were collected separately.