It is now expected that villagers from Soldanesti and Rezina rayons will separate the waste before throwing it into the proper container.
In the north of the country, specifically in Soldanesti and Rezina rayons was launched a pilot project for the selection and separate waste collection: in villages in the area were installed waste containers for paper, metal and glass, in addition to domestic waste. It is now expected that villagers will separate the waste before throwing it into the proper container. It is a process which is not learnt easy or fast and whose usefulness has to be explained several times.
Since the beginning of this month in Parcani village, Soldanesti rayon, like in other 26 municipalities in the north, were arranged special waste collection platforms, with separate containers for paper, metal or glass. Maria Eftode, who we met in the village’s center, says that the new containers attracted prying eyes of the villagers, and some even dared to use them. So far, she recognizes that people were depositing garbage … wherever they could:
‘Each stores it at home, then you look for transport: a cart, a car and take it to the outskirts of the village, where we have an authorized landfill. If not, there are people who went to the ravine, spring well, near the trees. At first it will be difficult, but I think that we will get better, as we are ashamed when someone comes through the village. Not pleasant’.
Platforms with containers for waste disposal and modern waste collection machines were purchased from the money offered by the German state, more than EUR 2 million. The maintaining of the service will be done from the locals’ contribution, the tariff being almost MDL 10 per person and MDL 150 for businesses. Thus, a family of four should contribute about MDL 40 per month, equivalent to ten loaves. Social Assistant from Parcani, Galina Ciorici, believes that people will leave hardly persuaded to give money:
‘That’s the thing that hurt us. For employees the price is affordable, but it will be difficult for the unemployed. There are many unemployed people who have many children, so I do not know how they can afford this amount. Maybe there will be discussions with them and the question is solved in the end’.
From the new service launched in Rezina and Şoldăneşti will benefit over 45,000 people in 27 localities. The separate waste collection system works in Şoldăneşti city for several years, which is why, the mayor of the city, Alexandru Tinică is the most indicated person to answer the question: how did he convinced people to separate garbage before throwing it and pay regularly for the waste collection service:
‘It’s a challenge, it’s a tricky process. See that we wrote on bins: paper, glass, plastic, but we have to discuss a lot with people. We have formed local citizens committees in each locality who gathers every week or month with people who bring waste to the platform. After these discussions things are changing’.
Europa Liberă: Do you have people who refuse to pay for these services?
Alexandru Tinică: ‘Most pay, between 80 and 90 percent pay because they see that waste is discharged and is cleaner in the town or in the area where they live’.
Today continues the Mayor of Şoldăneşti, waste is taken to temporary landfills around the city, and next year will be built two special centers for recycling.
Once the approach to the European Union, the Republic of Moldova should learn to fight efficiently not only against corruption but also with waste, believes the expert of the German Development Cooperation through GIZ, Vladislav Cantea, the great challenge of the authorities being the problem of waste disposal and unauthorized dumpsites:
‘In general, environmental protection chapter is the most important, here are the biggest challenges. Here are the things that are moving very slow, as you cannot build sanitary landfills, regional facilities, in one day. In this case, for example, to build a regional landfill you need at least three years, ideally. For Moldova to join the European Union, it must enter with corresponding standards. Thus, we should have regional landfills where we have stations that will treat waste waters flow, they must be collected and treated. We do not have something similar in Moldova. This should be done, if not, we cannot speak about European standards’.
Separate waste collection project from Rezina and Şoldăneşti today is a pilot one. The expectation is that in the coming years the authorities will multiply it across the country. Moldovan environmentalists put their hopes in National Environmental Strategy, a document promising in ten years to solve environmental issues, among which the unauthorized dumpsites and waste management.
