Goda from Panevėžys delivered the construction waste, the remains of old stairs and the sorted secondary waste of cardboard and plastic to the new waste collection site. Unlike when arriving at other sites in the city, she first drove her car onto the integrated transport scales. Weighing the vehicle before unloading the waste and driving away reveals the exact weight of the delivered waste, and the data is entered into the waste accounting system.
Not only that, it saved the time of Panevėžys and site workers. The new site is located in the southern part of the city, so it is closer to Goda’s house, and I didn’t have to wait in line, as sometimes happens when visiting older waste collection sites that are heavily visited by residents.
“95 percent residents deliver their waste to the sites by car, so theoretically there should not be a big difference if the site is closer or a little further away. But, in practice, residents associate waste collection points closer to home with convenience, increasing the motivation to behave in an orderly manner.
The most important thing is that the sites should be used by those for whom they are intended: those who have not only bulky waste, but also dangerous, as well as biodegradable garden and vegetable waste, secondary raw materials, textiles. There are still people who do not know that hazardous waste such as mercury lamps, paint and solvent waste, batteries should be transported to large waste collection sites, and they store them in basements, storerooms or simply throw them in containers that are not suitable for this,” G says. Ulys.
Residents can deliver their waste to the PRATC sites for free of charge, upon presentation of an identity document.
In the Panevėžys region, waste is collected twice a year free of charge, but there are still people who leave bulky waste or items that are still suitable for use next to mixed municipal waste containers.
After delivering them, as they should, to the waste collection site in Panevėžys, the waste is sent for recycling or otherwise arranged, and the items that are still usable are offered to others at the exchange station KEISK’is. It can be visited during the working hours of the waste collection site. Various usable items are accepted, except for textiles: furniture, electronic devices, dishes, paintings, children’s items, interior details.
“Things don’t necessarily have to turn into waste quickly. We invite you to change this attitude and exchange things that are lying unused at home. There are people for whom they can be not only interesting, but also very necessary”, says G. Ulys.
Salbinija Lukoševičienė, a businesswoman from Panevėžys, was looking forward to this initiative, having heard a lot of good things about the DĖK item-sharing stations operating in the Vilnius region.
“I’ve already looked at what else is suitable for use, but if I’m bored, I could deliver it to the KEISK stop. I can’t wait to look around at what other people from Panevėžys have brought to it, maybe I’ll find something suitable for me as well”, says S. Lukoševičienė, the owner of Vikonsa company.
The head of PRATC calls both the desire to exchange things and the increasing amount of waste a sign of an improving life, not of lack.
Almost half of the waste delivered to waste collection sites is construction and repair waste, and one fifth is furniture waste. The eleven waste collection sites in the Panevėžys region collect about 14,000 tons of waste per year. tons of waste.
“Waste is a very bright indicator showing the general level of the economy. If times are harder, the amount of waste decreases, if times are better, it increases.
We can rejoice that these times are not the worst. The flow of waste is quite stable”, says G. Ulys.
Information about waste collection points throughout Lithuania is provided by the map of waste collection points. It provides residents of all Lithuania with information about the location of the sites, working hours, contact phone number, accepted waste and their quantities.
