ESTONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2009

2006
2007
10 637
6 615
2 164
12 334
7 191
2 949
total mass of
end-of-life vehicles
exported for
further processing
recovered parts or materials
(including recycled parts and materials)
0 3000 6000 9000 12000
tonnes
Figure 9.10. Collection and handling of end-of-life vehicles in 2006 and 2007. Data: EEIC.
9.7. Transboundary
movement of waste
15000
The import and export of waste – especially of recoverable
waste (secondary raw material) – is fairly significant,
as Estonia is not capable of processing all types of waste.
Estonia has not imposed any restrictions on import or
export of recoverable waste within the EU. Estonian
companies export primarily types of waste in the case of
which collection and sorting expenses are lower than the
income from sale of secondary raw material. Such types
of waste include, for instance, metal and plastic waste.
The import and export of waste is greatly dependent on
world market prices.
In 1997–2007, waste import made up an average of
0.7% and export an average of 3% of waste generated.
The type of waste primarily imported to Estonia is metal
waste, which makes up an average of 70% of all imported
waste. The metal waste is sorted and pre-processed in
Estonia and then exported for further processing to
waste handlers in third countries or as secondary raw
material. Scrap metal is brought to Estonia primarily
from Russia, Kazakhstan as well as from Latvia, Finland
and other countries.
Until 2005, scrap metal was primarily exported to
Finland. In recent years the majority of metal waste has
been exported to Turkey and Spain.
Aside from metal waste, in 2006–2007 sawdust import
from Latvia has increased, and import of lead batteries
from Latvia and Finland as well as from Lithuania, Sweden
and Belarus has grown as well.
In autumn 2003, AS Ecometal was launched in Estonia
– a plant for processing used batteries in Sillamäe. The
plant is completely in conformity with the principles of
European Union Batteries Directive. The capacity of the
plant is up to 20,000 tonnes of used batteries per year.
Since the plant was launched, there is no longer a need
to export used lead batteries for processing. In 2004,
a total of 4721 tonnes of lead batteries were imported;
in 2007, the figure had risen to 14,838 tonnes of lead
batteries. The lead and lead alloys obtained as a result
of battery processing are predominantly sold back to
European battery manufacturers. It is to be hoped that
the battery processing plant in Sillamäe will accelerate
the process of used battery collection in both Estonia and
other countries so that the hazardous waste is no longer
deposited in landfills.
Luminescent lamps (natural daylight lamps, energy
saver bulbs), and other mercury-containing waste are
exported, as they are not handled in Estonia. They are
taken to Latvia for processing. With each year, export of
paper, glass, plastic and wood waste to nearby countries
– Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Sweden – has increased.
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