Bulgaria recycles less than 17% of household waste

Bulgaria recycles less than 17% of its household waste, well below the European Union average of around 48%, Environment and Water Minister Rositsa Karamfilova said at a meeting of local and central government officials in Sofia this week.

According to the BTA news agency, Karamfilova said the country needed more effective systems for separate waste collection and recycling to catch up with other EU member states.

She also outlined preparations for the introduction of a deposit return scheme for beverage containers. Karamfilova said neither the state nor a private operator would be allowed to establish a monopoly over the system.

The aim, she said, is to create a model that works equally well for people living in large cities and in smaller or more remote communities. Bulgaria, like many other EU countries, is seeking to increase recycling rates and advance the transition to a circular economy in line with European environmental targets.

Editor: Elena Karkalanova