TIRANA, Sept 19 /ATA/ – The Albanian government has approved a draft law on integrated waste management that prioritizes waste separation and recycling over incineration and introduces stricter penalties for violations.
The draft law, set to be debated in Parliament, also proposes the establishment of a National Waste Treatment Operator and aims to fully align Albania’s waste management legislation with European Union directives.
The legislation seeks to create an integrated waste management system that protects the environment and human health while promoting the transition to a circular economy model.
Under the new bill, municipalities will remain responsible for organizing and operating local waste management systems. Their duties include the collection of municipal and other defined waste streams, ensuring separate collection, setting up proper infrastructure such as containers, and organizing waste transport in line with national waste zone plans.
The National Waste Economy Agency (AKEM) will oversee end-of-line infrastructure and coordinate with central and local institutions, international partners, and investors in planning and implementing waste treatment infrastructure.
In line with circular economy goals and the waste hierarchy principle, the bill calls for a gradual reduction in the volume of waste sent to landfills, especially municipal waste and recyclable or recoverable materials. Only pre-treated waste will be accepted in landfills, with exceptions made for inert waste or waste where treatment is technically unfeasible.
Hazardous waste will only be accepted in designated landfills if it meets specific classification and procedural criteria set out by the law.
Regarding incineration, the bill states that waste collected separately for reuse or recycling cannot be incinerated, except in cases where further treatment generates waste for which incineration is deemed the most environmentally sound solution.
Operational procedures for waste treatment facilities – including waste delivery, environmental permitting, and monitoring – will be determined by the Council of Ministers.
The bill also introduces tougher fines for illegal activities. Importing hazardous waste into Albania could result in fines ranging from 1.95 million to 2.6 million lek. The same fines apply to unauthorized transit of hazardous waste through Albanian territory.
Operating waste treatment activities without an environmental permit, or in violation of one, carries penalties between 1.3 million and 1.95 million lek.
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