1 Introduction and organic waste situation

Latest revision 04/2011

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Geographic, demographic, spatial and economic characteristics of Republic of Bulgaria

Republic of Bulgaria is located on the Balkan Peninsula in the south-east part of Europe. Its borders are with Danube River and Republic of Romania to the north, with the Black Sea – to the east, with Turkey and Greece – to the south and with Serbia and Macedonia – to the west. Country’s territory is 110 994 m²

As a result of the demographic and migration processes by 31.12.2007 the constant Bulgarian population is 7 640 238 people of which 71% live in the cities and 29% – in the villages.

Political-geographic structure of the country is formed by 3 main territorial units: municipalities, districts and planning regions.

In Bulgaria there are 264 and their size varies too much – from 45 км² to over 1 200 км². Each municipality consists of the settlements which comprise it and the adjoining land. The number of the comprising settlements varies from 1 to 134. Bulgarian municipalities are administrative and territorial units where the local self-government is carried out. They are legal bodies and have the right to possess property and their own municipal budget. The municipalities correspond to level IV of the European statistical classification for territorial units NUTS.

The country is also divided into 28 districts. Districts are administrative and territory units implementing the regional policy, the state government and provide compliance between the national and local interests. The administrative borders of the districts include 10-11 municipalities in average. The Bulgarian districts correspond to level III of the European statistical classification for territorial units NUTS.

The country is also divided into 6 planning regions: North-West, North-Central, North-East, South-West, South-Central, South-East. The planning regions correspond to level II of the European statistical classification for territorial units NUTS.

Development of the planning processes in the waste management field in Bulgaria

The waste management planning in Bulgaria begins in 1999.

• 1997: Act for reducing the waste harmful impact on the environment, promulgated in SG 86, dated 30.09.1997
• 1999: National waste management program 1998-2002, adopted on 18.03.1998 by the Council of Ministers of Republic of Bulgaria
• 2003: Waste management act, prom SG 86, date 30.09.2003
• 2003: National waste management program 2003-2007, adopted on 11.12.2003 by the Council of Ministers of Republic of Bulgaria
• 2008: Update and extension of the Action Plan of the National waste management program 2003-2007 in 2008, adopted on 13.02.2008 by the Council of Ministers of Republic of Bulgaria
• 2009: National waste management program NWMP 2009-2013.
• 2010: National strategic plan for diversion of biodegradable waste going to landfills (2010 – 2020)

2 Legal framework for the organic waste stream and compost production – expected trends and developments

Biodegradable waste management includes collection (separated or with mixed household waste), anaerobic digestion and composting, incineration and disposal. The environmental and economic benefits from the different treatment methods significantly depend on the local conditions such as population density, infrastructure and climate, as well as the existence of markets for the goods, resulting from these processes (energy and compost). Currently for the biological treatment of the biodegradable waste composting facilities and installations are under construction as well as for anaerobic and mechanical-biological treatment which facilities are located in open or covered sites or in closed premises.

The requirements to the facilities and installations for biological treatment of the biodegradable waste are regulated in Chapter 3, Section I of Ordinance No 8 on the conditions and requirements for construction and operation of landfills and other facilities and installations for waste disposal and recovery. The requirements to the sites where facilities for biodegradable waste treatment can be located are regulated in Ordinance No 7 on the requirements for sites determined for placing of waste treatment facilities.

Biological treatment can be determined as recycling only when the compost (or the residue from anaerobic digestion) is used as fertilized of the soil or for production of growing media. In case the compost is not used for these purposes the biological treatment is considered to be pre-treatment before final disposal or incineration. Anaerobic digestion (as a result of which biogas is emitted with energy production) should be considered as waste energy recovery.

In order to achieve the targets regarding biodegradable waste a National strategic plan for diversion of the quantities of biodegradable waste going to landfills 2010-2020 has been developed.

In line with this National strategic plan the municipalities have to implement specific measures for biodegradable waste treatment in order to reduce the quantities to be landfilled.

Measures for reduction the “green” municipal waste

Introduction of separate collection and treatment of “green” waste, generated from maintaining the green areas in the cities (for example autumn leaves, grass, branches etc) including from private companies are part of the management system of this waste stream and establishing in stages of collection system.

The generated amounts of green waste are calculated to 25 kg/inhabitant/year.

It is envisaged in each municipality to be constructed an open site for collection and composting of the separately collected “green” waste from parks and gardens. In the municipalities where there are regional landfills the composting can be composting can be carried out on the established in the landfill composting facilities.

Each region will have specific recycling target to achieve in accordance with the established facilities.

Construction of installations for composting, anaerobic digestion and mechanical-biological treatment.

The facilities and installations for biological treatment will be constructed on regional bases. The installations are part of an integrated waste management system. It is envisaged, on the regional municipal waste landfills, centers for integrated waste management to be established which will include also composting installations.

Composting is the main method for treatment of biowaste in Bulgaria

It is envisaged 20 facilities for treatment and recycling of biodegradable waste to be constructed during the period of NWMP 2009-2013.

Anaerobic treatment installations

Construction of anaerobic treatment installations with biogas production is appropriate for the biodegradable waste from the central city areas as well as for the food industry waste. This treatment recovers the energy potential of the waste.

Anaerobic digestion is successfully applied for treatment of agricultural and industrial biodegradable waste (for example sludge). This allows the combined treatment of municipal, industrial and agricultural waste. This method is more and more applied in the European countries as the generated methane can be used as alternative energy source. Its utilization leads to reduction of the emitted greenhouse gases. Moreover, the anaerobic residues can be composted and used in agriculture.

Mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) installations

MBT is one of the most expensive methods for reduction of the bio-waste as the total waste amount, not only the biodegradable fraction, is put in the treatment facilities. This technology is suitable for large cities and in the places where there is no system for biodegradable waste separate collection.

MBT reduces the amount of landfilled waste from 50 till 80% and even more depending on the technological decision and the waste type. It is envisaged such installations to be constructed in the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna.

Establishment of market for compost

During the period of the NWMP 2009-2013 it is foreseen to be developed mechanisms supporting the establishment of market for the compost:

• Development of standards for compost: establishment of national standards which clearly categorize the end products according to their origin and composition. Some restrictions can be imposed about the content of certain polluters such as heavy metals, pathogens and mechanical polluters (pieces of glass and plastics). In this way the end user receives product with certain characteristics. The standards can be related to specific instructions for use of the product.
• Introduction of a system for quality assurance – licensing of the whole process – from the origin of the used materials, through all treatment stages up to the end-product.
• Application of a quality symbol of the product corresponding to certain standards by putting some quality labels. It should be clearly stated that the product is produced from waste.
• Combining of market sectors – establishing of relations between industrial sectors which are able to recycle to each other the waste generated from their activity.
• Information campaigns promoting the production and use of compost. This should be promoted mainly to the potential consumers – farmers, construction companies, companies dealing with plants, operators of landfills for bad quality compost for soiling etc.

Although there are standards for the compost quality in many European countries, they differ significantly due to differences in the soil policy. Currently there is no comprehensive EU legislation but there some discussions about introducing common criteria for the compost quality.

Compost market prices are directly related to the public attitude and consumers trust in the product.

Reduction of the quantities of biodegradable waste by home composting

In the regions where big amounts of biodegradable waste is generated such as single-family houses in the villages and single-family houses used for holidays in the suburbs it is suitable to continue the introduction of home composting. The households in these regions usually have own gardens and are better informed about the soil, plants and fertilizers which make them more open-minded to the idea for collection and composting of biodegradable waste.

During the NWMP the home composting system should cover:

- by 2010 70 000 households;

- by 2013 89 000 households.

The covering of more and more families by the home composting system is possible through continuous informing of the population about the possibilities for recovery of the biodegradable waste and for providing containers for composting to the families who wish to compost the biodegradable waste. In case of lack of funds these containers can be made also by the farmers.

In order the effect of this measure to be registered it is necessary the providing of composters to the families to be related to a requirement for provision of information from the municipalities for the level of reduction of the landfilled biodegradable waste.

Towards a sustainable management of biowaste in the republic of Bulgaria is envisaged that until 2013 the entire legal framework on biowaste management will be develop and implement:

• Ordinance on separate collection and management of organic waste
• Compost Ordinance
• State of the Art on Composting – Guidance in good practice
• Development of a  NQAS(National Quality Assurance System) for compost and the NQAO(National Quality Assurance Organization)
• Development of  register for biowaste treatment facilities and
• recycled  and recovered quantities of bio-waste
• Preparation of documents for accreditation of the laboratory for assessment of the basic parameters of compost

3 Contacts and sources of information

Ministry of Environment and Water of Bulgaria

Waste Management Directorate

1000 Sofia, 22 Maria Louisa Blvd.

env.eng. Grigor Stoyanov – chief expert

tel. +359 2 9406627

mob. +359 88 7648473

e-mail: gstoyanov@moew.government.bg

ecogor@gmail.com

web: www.moew.government.bg