Second Environmental Performance Review of Albania

Chapter 7: Waste management97sold for recycling. Other informal recycling occurs atdisposal sites where unauthorised groups scavengefor metals, plastic, paper and wood.The recycling industry is developing under theAlbanian Recyclers Association (ARA). About 60private companies are dealing with recycling of abroad range of waste fractions, but predominantly ofscrap metal. Not all of them have an environmentalpermit from MoEFWA.The European Bank for Reconstruction andDevelopment (EBRD) intends to make an equityinvestment of €2 million in a private recyclingcompany in Durrës to support its plans to install arecycled paper production line and establish wastepaper recycling networks throughout Albania.Municipal solid waste disposalDumping in uncontrolled sites is the main method ofMSW disposal. It is estimated that about 65 largeuncontrolled sites and numerous small sites arecurrently in operation in Albania. The NationalWaste Management Plan envisages the replacementof these by 12 regional controlled landfills.In most instances, sites designated for disposal ofMSW are not well managed. They have beenestablished without the necessary infrastructure orengineering provisions to collect and contain landfillleachate and landfill gas. Many of these sites are notsecure and there are inadequate facilities for theiroperational management such as a site office, stafffacilities, weighbridge, vehicle wash or lighting. As aresult, unauthorised access and dumping is common,as are fires. The inspection of incoming waste is notcommonly practised and records of deposits are notkept. Unauthorised disposal is common on land andalong watercourses, especially at the edge of thesmall settlements. Materials are often washed orblown away into the environment, contaminatingadjacent land and watercourses. There are no licensedwaste incineration facilities for the treatment ofMSW. It is common to burn household and otherwaste in the open. Some wastes, including used tyresand wood waste, are burnt in lime kilns.Assistance from foreign donors focused recently onthe improvement of waste disposal sites. At Sharra,which is the main disposal site in Tirana, the olddisposal area has been recultivated. Sharra Phase I isdeveloped as lined landfill and partially filled; SharraPhase II, which is financed by the ItalianGovernment, is lined and will soon be ready foroperation. However, the waste reception area is stillunder development as part of the Sharra II project.Another modern landfill has been developed inBushat to serve the Municipality of Shkodra,financed by UNDP’s Inter-municipal CooperationProgramme. Under development are landfills inRrëshen and Bajram Curri. Feasibility studies havebeen prepared for sites in Korça, Saranda and Vlora.These are co-financed by international donors and theGovernment of Albania. The development of newlandfills is connected with the programme of closureof old disposal sites. Feasibility studies have beenprepared for sites in Fier, Elbasan, Berat andShkodra, all financed from the State budget.Industrial and hazardous wasteThe key industrial waste generators are mostly the oilindustry, cement production, steel and mining.The oilindustry extracts 260,000 tons of crude oil and 7.9million m 3 of natural gas, and produces about300,000 tons of oil products, annually. Cementproduction is developing in Albania. Total cementoutput reached 1.108 million tons in 2009. There arecement plants in Fushe Kruje and Elbasan.Production began at a new 1.5-million-metric-tonsper-yearcement plant in the Kruje Region north ofTirana in early 2010.A full-cycle cement plant was opened in Balldre in2010. Steel works in Elbasan produced 216,000 tonsof steel in 2009. The mining industry is strong in oreextraction (450,000 tons of chromite and copper oresin 2010) and production of construction materials(3.8 million tons of limestone in 2010). Based on acomparison with other countries, and assuming thatgeneration is proportional to GDP, the level ofindustrial waste generation in Albania is estimated tobe 170,000 tons per annum.The collection and disposal of industrial waste is theresponsibility of the producer. Information on thequantity or types of industrial waste is not collectedin Albania. Precise information concerning its fate isnot available, although it is known that much of it isdisposed of at municipal waste sites and some is keptat the site of production, but some is also dumped atunauthorized locations.As with general industrial waste, there is noinformation available on current hazardous wastemanagement in Albania. Expert studies estimate thathazardous waste may constitute 3-5 per cent of totalindustrial waste. Albania created conditions forrecording industrial as well as hazardous waste byadoption of a waste classification system and otherlegislation, but practical implementation –registration of waste amounts – has been delayed.