WASTE IS NOT “IN” ANYMORE

When neglected children are smashing concrete blocks to get iron out of them, they have no idea that they are involved in a business which is heading downhill. This week they will again receive a few cents less for the gathered kilos. Junkyards, where waste is purchased or brought in, are overflowing. In some towns they will survive for only a few more weeks and then old metals, plastics, and paper will have to be stored at the yards’ front gates. Buyers of waste will even ask money for taking in certain kinds of wastes. The crisis has affected waste too. The economic slowdown has started to destabilize waste management companies. All of last year was not very successful for them and December was breathing down their necks. Most of the companies admitted to more than a half fall in demand. Some recyclable materials became unsaleable. Expenses for their selection, arranging and recycling highly exceed recoverability. This applies mostly to plastics, paper and metals. Glass has maintained its value and that’s why it’s still being gathered without problems. Since consumption and production is limited now, the volume of waste should fall. Peter Krasnec, sales director of Zohor’s waste management company A.S.A. Slovensko, says that while it already shows in the industrial sector, households slowed down only slightly. If the recyclable material businesses weren’t funded, it would not be attractive for businessmen. According to the law, it’s villages who are responsible for gathering and processing selected waste. Villages do this using their own technical services or by ordering these services through private companies which also often process collected waste. Villages, as well as process companies, are supported by the purposeful Recycling Fund of the Slovak Republic. From the collected money the fund provides funding and loans, especially for the creation of processing capacity, support of waste gathering, as well as compensation for expenses related to waste separation. Last year towns, villages and private businessmen received from the fund 27 million euros. A year before it was around 19 million. But it was also worth collecting waste for non-funded and non-communal companies, especially metals and papers. There was a demand and so too a big interest in waste.  I Pg 32