The government has amended the requirements for waste processing objects
In Russia, the requirements for objects of municipal waste management (MSW) will change. The document adopted by the Government, in particular, introduces the minimum percentage of extraction of secondary resources from the garbage sent for disposal. At the same time, the requirements for already designed or built (until September 1 of this year) processing complexes will be softer – they will have extra time to prepare for the implemented standards.
The government adopted by the decision made changes to the uniform requirements for objects of processing, disposal, neutralization, and placement of municipal solid waste (MSW). In the new edition, targeted indicators of the extraction of secondary resources from MSW appeared. The previous rules of 2020 did not contain such norms – they were established by investment programs for the construction and reconstruction of such facilities, as well as territorial waste management schemes.
The document will enter into force on September 1, 2025 and will be valid until June 1, 2027. In accordance with it, if the design, construction or reconstruction of the facility for MSW handling was completed until September 1, 2025, then from September 1, 2026, the number of recovered secondary resources should be not lower than the level provided for by the design documentation, and at least 9% of the mass of the submitted MSW.
By the new rules, the government actually soften the requirements for such “old” facilities for the management of MSW – in the former version of the resolution, it was assumed that the requirements for the extraction of secondary resources would be common and will enter into force for all market participants from January 1, 2026.
Thus, now the “old” objects receive additional time to prepare for the implementation of standards.
For new objects (completed after September 1, 2025), delayed the entry of processing norms is not provided. With a waste processing power of less than 100 thousand tons per year, the share of secondary resources should be at least 13% of the mass of the incoming garbage, at 100 thousand tons and more – at least 15%.
The adopted changes should push the companies to invest in the creation of waste processing capacities in the context of increasing the financing of the construction of “garbage” infrastructure by the state due to the growth of environmental fees (See “Kommersant” from May 15).
The company « Russian Ecological Operator » (REO) note that the established indicators are « technologically reached ».
“The current extraction indicator of secondary resources from MSW during processing exceeds 12%. In some cases, in the most modern automated industries, it is possible to achieve indicators exceeding 20%, ”the REO explained.
The decree is the next step of the government to unify the requirements to the objects of handling of MSW, says Yuri Platonov, General Director of Eco-Development-Mo. According to him, it will not only control the work of objects, but also facilitate access to targeted financing. He believes that the deadline provided to lagging companies is “enough to modernize the object and achieve the required indicators or build a new one”.
Changes are a consequence of tightening the norms of recent legislation, says Elena Vishnyakova, deputy general director of the Ecoline group, they will contribute to the release of the market from unscrupulous companies that “dig” garbage. However, in her opinion, now the construction of new disposal capacities is much more important, because now more from the waste stream is extracted more than the industry can process.
Meanwhile, the creation of utilization capacities is a process cost and finance, says Anna Sheveleva, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry of the Arkhangelsk Region. The time that companies will receive thanks to the new rules will make it possible to involve the organization that will ensure the sorting and processing of MSW: modern garbage sorting complexes are high -tech and a number of approvals and examinations are required to create them.
