The number of people sorting waste in Lithuania is growing, according to a study conducted in February this year. Compared to 2023, the share of people sorting waste has increased by as much as 4 percent. – 91% often or always sort waste. respondents.
The study, which aims to assess the waste sorting experience and knowledge of Lithuanian residents about correct waste sorting, was initiated for the third time by the first and largest packaging waste management organization in Lithuania, “Žaliasis taškas”.
According to the representatives of the company, although Lithuanian waste sorting habits are improving, not everyone who thinks they are doing it correctly would pass the exam. For example, even 9 out of 10 respondents would throw a construction block into a plastic container, even though its place is among mixed municipal waste.
Older people sort more responsibly
Asta Burbaitė, marketing and communication manager of “Zhalioj taška”, shares that since last year even 6% the share of residents who regularly sort waste has increased – 56% always sort, and another 7% usually.
“There are as many as 92 percent of those who think they know how to properly sort waste, and those over 35 years old. residents are more confident in their knowledge than younger people – 18-25 years old. – residents. In addition, older respondents not only think they know how to do it better, but also sort more often. Between the ages of 55-74 even 70 percent of respondents answered that they always sort. population”, A. Burbaitė presents the results.
Differences are visible not only between age groups – residents of individual houses or cottages tend to sort more often than residents of apartment buildings (96% compared to 90% do it most often, and 72% compared to 49% do it constantly).
“We noticed that people sort glass containers most responsibly and from 2023 the number of those doing that increased by another 6 percent. The research revealed that paper is sorted more often by residents of apartment buildings (93 percent, residents of houses – 86 percent), but glass containers, cans, metal lids, and product packaging are sorted significantly more often by residents of individual houses than in apartment buildings,” the expert names the differences.
The capital stood out
“Just like last year, the majority of residents who sort waste stated that they do so because of the convenient infrastructure and environmental reasons and the increasing area of landfills. When evaluating the motivations for sorting in individual counties, the reasons of the residents of Kaunas, Klaipėda and Alytus counties coincide with the general motivation of Lithuania, but the capital city was different. The main reasons for sorting in Vilnius county were environmental goals, sorting containers near the house, free collection of this waste. Vilnius residents are less affected than others by the increasing areas of landfills and overflowing mixed waste containers”, compares A. Burbaitė.
She also revealed the reasons why residents do not sort waste: “Only 2 percent do not sort at all.” respondents, and the most common reason for this is the lack of space for such trash cans (59%). However, packaging waste accounts for about 80 percent. of all waste, so maybe there is no place for sorting, but for household waste?’
Another 36 percent said that they do not sort, because they do not trust the sorting system and believe that waste is transported with general waste, while 18 percent respondents do not believe that waste is recycled.
The best sorting rate is in Alytus
During the research, practical knowledge of sorting the population was also tested. The results revealed that residents of Alytus and Vilnius counties statistically know sorting a little better than those of Kaunas and Klaipėda, because they answered more test questions correctly. In addition, the sorting rate in Alytus county is the best and reaches as much as 97 percent.
“It is important to remind that only packaging waste is sorted in Lithuania, so, for example, the place of constructor’s blocks is the mixed municipal waste container. However, even more than 90 percent respondents would throw them in the plastic waste container. Also, Tetra Pak packaging still raises a lot of uncertainties – although their place in a plastic container, as many as 66 percent answered that the paper; toilet paper or napkins are not sorted, but 40 percent chose one of the sorting containers”, – A. Burbaitė names the most common mistakes.
She continues that 69 percent respondents incorrectly named the container in which the can of canned food should go, and 62 percent would also missort a toothbrush – throw it into a plastic container: “Metal, tin, wooden packages are thrown into the yellow container, which, although called plastic, is the most versatile. A toothbrush is not a package, so it belongs among mixed household waste.”
The representative of “Green Dot” notes that the majority of residents would correctly sort a bottle of dishwashing detergent or household spray (67%), a pizza box (77%) or a glass oil bottle (71%).
Every third one performs in the wrong container
Linas Černiauskas, head of the environmental management company “Ecoservice”, notes that morphological studies and company data show that approximately 30-40 percent waste entering the sorting containers must not end up in them.
“According to our experience, the most common mistake that residents make when sorting waste is to throw textile products, shoes, ashes, diapers, toys, festive garlands, construction or other waste into the packaging containers, which are not packaging and must be handled separately. The conducted research also confirmed that residents have questions about which container their household items should go to,” L. Černiauskas presents.
He summarizes that the waste sorting system in Lithuania is arranged in such a way that people do not pay extra for packaging containers or for sorted waste, therefore, proper waste sorting is an incentive not only to care for the environment, but also financially beneficial. “Sorted packaging waste, instead of ending up in a landfill, can be used a second time – this saves resources, reduces production and waste management costs, and reduces the amount of waste going to the landfill,” claims the expert.
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