Organised waste transport contracts can be concluded with waste transport operators who offer transport of municipal waste in the area where the household or business is located. Waste transport contracts can only be concluded with the company with which the local government has concluded a concession contract and has granted exclusive transport rights to. Information on waste transport operators can be found on the local government’s website, and assistance with concluding contracts can be asked from the local government’s environmental officer.
The local government’s environmental officer advises on all waste matters and can be contacted by phone or e-mail in case of problems or complaints.
Every household and business producing waste must have a waste transport contract. A waste transport contract must be in place when applying for a permit to use a dwelling or a building. Waste transport contracts are individual and must be concluded by the owner of the property. An exception is apartment associations, where common containers are used, in which case each apartment owner does not have to conclude a separate contract, this is done by the apartment association.
The waste transport service is subject to a fee and it varies from one waste transport area to another. The waste transport service fee is determined based on the type, quantity and characteristics of the waste, frequency of waste transport and other circumstances that have a significant impact on the cost of waste treatment, such as covering the set-up, operation, closing and after-care costs of a waste treatment facility and the costs related to the transport of waste as well as preparations for the transport. Examples of waste transport prices can be found on the Estonian Environmental Services website or the Ragn Sells website (both in Estonian).
No waste transport service fee discounts are provided to economically vulnerable persons, unless the local government has decided to do so. Information on this can be obtained from the local government. If difficulties arise in relation to paying invoices, the local government and the service provider must be contacted immediately to find the best way to solve the problem. Unpaid invoices are submitted to a debt collection company for recovery.
If a person needs specific assistance in relation to their economic situation or disability, a local government social worker should be contacted for further assistance.
Local governments organise the collection and transport of municipal waste, primarily garbage or mixed municipal waste, their sorting residues and the types of waste resulting from separate collection of waste at the site of generation of municipal waste within their administrative territories. Organised waste transport may also include other types of municipal waste or other waste. Municipal waste not covered by organised waste transport can be discarded at waste stations.
The organisational basis for the collection and disposal of municipal waste is set by the local government in their waste handling rules laying down:
- organisation of waste handling and storage and the relevant technical requirements, such as the type, material and size of collection containers, the bottom structure and location of the containers, the use of shared collection containers;
- the frequency of municipal waste transport;
- requirements for handling waste not covered by waste transport; e.g. requirements for the management of construction and demolition waste.
Local residents must, in turn, follow the waste handling rules compiled by the local government, which indicate where different types of waste can be discarded within the municipality’s territory.
The local government must ensure that:
- residents, summer home owners and businesses join the organised waste transport system that guarantees that their municipal waste is managed in the most environmentally friendly way possible;
- on the municipality’s territory, a system for separate collection and discarding of waste has been established;
- on the municipality’s territory, there is a sufficient number of public waste collection sites (e.g. for packaging disposal, for paper and cardboard collection, and also for hazardous waste, etc.);
- residents are informed of the waste collection options and requirements applicable within the municipality’s territory.
Municipal waste must be collected separately at the site of generation.
Useful information about consumer rights can you found on the website of Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority.