"Allowing the import of waste will be the fatality of Albania"

Lavdosh Ferruni, activist of the Alliance Against Garbage Imports (AKIP) speaks

For the activist of AKIP, Lavdosh Ferruni, allowing the import of waste would increase the volume of waste, as the country suffers from the problem of the environmental situation due to the exhaustion of landfill capacities and the lack of recycling.

Mr. Ferruni says that allowing the import of waste would be the fatality of Albania to enrich 2-3 people.

He warned of the beginning of protests until the withdrawal of the government for not approving the changes that allow imports of waste.

The government has submitted for consultation the new draft law "On integrated waste management". In your opinion, what does article 73 of the law provide, which, among other things, defines that "in the territory of the Republic of Albania, only certain categories of non-hazardous waste are allowed to be imported, except for those defined in points 1 and 2 of this article , after approval of the request for import by Decision of the Council of Ministers"?

Albania has a very good law "On integrated waste management". The new draft law is simply a legal trick, to hide in it an addition, allowing the import of waste.

Being a new draft law, the "architect" thought that perhaps the essence of the law, namely the introduction of the import of waste, is not noticeable.

In the presented relation of the draft law, there is not a single word about the waste import surcharge. The very high public sensitivity to the waste import ban was evident only a few hours after the publication of the draft.

Should their import be allowed and why are you against it?

Allowing the import of waste is the fatality of Albania. They are not against 2-3 people, as 2-3 people are really interested together with the Government to win by making the country dirty.

They are against at least 70,000 citizens, in the signature and face signature of the request for a referendum, since 2013, and thousands more in the big protest on October 1, 2016, which overturned for the second time the articles of the law that opened the doors to import of waste.

In short, we are against it because the general public is against it. And this public has begun to speak. Even the patronageists do not speak in favor of the import of trash, not only have they signed against, in the request for a referendum, but also that they and every Albanian knows well how the work with the waste is in the country.

What economic benefits would Albania have if their import were allowed?

If the import of waste was allowed (it will not be allowed), Albania would only have losses, and not only economic, but environmental and in the health of the inhabitants.

Why does the new draft not exclude the incineration process? Does Albania have significant amounts of waste for incineration?

Incineration does not need to be excluded by law, simply incineration is not an option for Albania.

We thought that a small incinerator, for the burning of waste, might have been needed in Albania, but when we saw the "white" smoke at the Elbasan incinerator, we understood the scheme and reacted.

This Government works with schemes (eg now the scheme with floating TEC).

Experts and recyclers raise the concern that the landfill of Sharra and Elbasan is filled with waste beyond capacity, causing environmental problems. What are the reasons that are causing this situation? How can it be resolved?

We have raised this concern of exhausting the capacities of landfills and the main reason is that we do not follow the law, do not prevent the generation of waste, do not reuse, do not recycle, due to the evil policy with incineration, where all waste with one stream ( i.e. with a bin) they had to go to the incinerators.

The paradox of the solution is with the new draft law, increasing the volume of waste from import.

The draft law also leaves legal space for private initiatives to operate landfills with a 30-year term. This means that there may be expressions of interest from the private sector for new landfills. How do you see this initiative?

Landfilling should be a state responsibility. The environmental and health impact of landfills is evident even decades later.

Especially in Albania with many waterways, private landfill is dangerous. Water contamination is fatal./ Monitor