Over the past five years, the environmental resource management company “Eco Baltia vide” has increased the amount of waste collected and sent for recycling in Riga's Northern District and Vidzeme Suburb by 52%, which is 10,179 tonnes more than in 2021. At the same time, in 2025 the company took 28%, or 22,246 tonnes, less waste from Riga to the landfill than it did five years ago.
Reducing the volume of waste, sorting it and diverting it to recycling is one of the European Union's most important sustainability goals, and it is being pursued across its member states, including Latvia. “The positive result in Latvia's capital has been achieved thanks to cooperation between “Eco Baltia vide” and Riga City Council, as well as the willingness of residents in the neighbourhoods of Riga's Northern District and Vidzeme Suburb to take part. We can see that, with the right tools and the right motivation, together we can change familiar waste disposal habits and build a greener, tidier Riga. Over the past five years we have installed 5,764, or 41%, more sorted waste containers than in 2021, working closely with Riga City Council to bring sorting facilities closer to our customers' homes,” explains Jānis Aizbalts, Chairman of the Board of “Eco Baltia vide”.
Of all the containers installed by “Eco Baltia vide”, the biggest increase in numbers has been in containers for light packaging — that is, plastic, paper and metal packaging — with 43%, or 2,915, more installed than five years ago, followed by glass packaging containers, up 39%, or 1,216. A record number of new containers have been put in place for biowaste — 70%, or 1,615, more — which points to a shift in residents' habits and a growing willingness to sort the waste they produce day to day. In 2019, meanwhile, the company introduced its first textile sorting containers, installing 20 of them in Riga. Over the years since, it has increased that figure to a total of 179 textile sorting containers.
Jānis Aizbalts says the local authority has also played an important part in improving the sorting system. “Riga is one of the positive examples of how changes to binding regulations can encourage the public to take a more active part in waste sorting. In recent years Riga has established that separate waste collection is mandatory at certain apartment buildings. Although every change calls for additional investment, the aim is the same — to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill. We hope that the requirements of Riga's newly announced procurement for waste management will also match residents' needs, because what the local authority includes in the terms will determine both the charge residents pay for the service and its quality, along with other aspects,” Jānis Aizbalts notes.
Since May 2020, “Eco Baltia vide” has provided waste management services to residents of Riga's Northern District and Vidzeme Suburb — in Čiekurkalns, Jaunciems, Kundziņsala, Mangaļsala, Mežaparks, Mīlgrāvis, Pētersala-Andrejsala, Sarkandaugava, Skanste, Trīsciems, Vecāķi, Vecdaugava, Vecmīlgrāvis, Berģi, Brasa, Bukulti and Dreiliņi. Over this period the company has invested around 5 million euros in Riga to improve the quality of its service, putting the money towards more environmentally friendly vehicles, improvements to the sorting system, the development of digital solutions and other purposes.
About SIA “Eco Baltia vide”:
“Eco Baltia vide” is an environmental management company offering a broad range of environmental management services — the removal of household and sorted waste, the management of used packaging, the management of construction debris and bulky waste, grounds cleaning and road maintenance, as well as a variety of seasonal services.