Description of the system

Eco Partners Bulgaria AD is developing a two-container model for separate collection of packaging waste. One set of containers includes:

• 1 yellow metal Igloo container with the capacity of 1,700 liters for collecting paper, plastic and metal packaging waste;
• 1 green metal Igloo container with the capacity of 1,700 liters for collecting glass.

The two-container model has some significant advantages over the three-container model, such as:

• It significantly facilitates citizens in separate collection at home, which creates prerequisites for increasing the collected quantities.
• The set of containers takes up less space in the streets and sidewalks.

Separate collection containers shall be located next to household waste containers. Each container is provided with an explanatory label indicating what waste should be disposed therein.

The separate collection system serves households, administrative, social and public buildings, catering establishments, retail outlets and leisure, entertainment and tourism sites in the municipalities.

According to Art.24 of the Ordinance on packaging and packaging waste, the settlements shall be provided with containers for separate collection of waste as follows:

• For settlements with less than 50,000 inhabitants – for every 350 inhabitants – containers with a minimum total volume of 3,300 l
• For settlements with 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants – for every 550 inhabitants – containers with a minimum total volume of 3,300 l
• For settlements with more than 100,000 inhabitants – for every 750 inhabitants – containers with a minimum total volume of 3,300 l

The activities for building and servicing the municipal systems for separate collection of packaging waste, which are our obligation, are:

• Providing and deploying of separate collection containers at addresses, designated by the mayors of municipalities
• Еnsuring of regular transportation of the packaging waste collected in the colored containers according to schedule, agreed with the mayors of municipalities
• Ensuring of pre-treatment of the collected packaging waste – sorting
• Recovery of the packaging waste

Separately collected packaging waste from containers is transported to a pre-treatment site. Waste sorting goes through the following steps:

Recyclable packaging waste is sorted by type and material as follows:

• Corrugated cardboard
• Mixed paper
• Newspapers and magazines

• PET
• Polyethylene (high pressure)
• Polyethylene (low pressure)
• Polypropylene
• Other hard plastics

• Non-ferrous metals
• Ferrous metals

• Mixed glass

After pre-treatment, the recyclable packaging waste is transported to processing plants designated by the Organization.