Russia groans under the weight of its rubbish
Landfill areas in Russia are bigger than some countries and authorities call for more recycling and tougher action against pollution.
With more than 2,000 square km of rubbish and solid waste rotting across Russia, the total area is six times the size of Malta.
Not enough recycling
Only 30 per cent of Russia's waste is recycled properly, leading to 80 billion tons being dumped across the country.
The volume increases by 7 billion tons each year, the Federation Council's first vice-speaker Alexander Torshin said at a national ecological forum, Moskovsky Komsomolets reported.
"Most of Russia's inhabited areas are surrounded by landfills and unsanctioned dumps, and waste storage does not conform to even basic environmental demands. Meanwhile this waste could bring significant benefits," the senator said.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that the amount of waste going to dumps instead of recycling has been on the rise.
The same problem was noted in The Moscow News poll on ecology, where the majority of voters (42.4 per cent) thought recycling is the way forward if Russia wants to improve its environment.
Trash trumps oil and gas
In the nearest future secondary resources will play a role akin to gas and oil in the world economy, Torshin said.
The senator called for a national ecological corporation to be created to connect the state and recycling companies. He thinks such a corporation would be a logical continuation of Russia's ecological doctrine.
"Within the corporation technology could be developed using sources from recycled raw materials, including recycled waste," Torshin said.
Packaging is an issue
The lack of state regulation in terms of packaging and packaging waste is also causing ecological and economic damage to the state.
"Packaging waste make up 100 per cent of solid waste in some regions. We must rely on foreign experience of utilising waste that offers a valuable recycled material," Torshin concluded.
Putin is worried about rubbish
Vladimir Putin has also warned that the authorities need to act if they want to change the ecological situation in the country.
The Prime Minister said that about 15 per cent of Russian territory is in poor ecological condition, Interfax reported.
"In almost all of the country's regions air and water pollution remain high," Putin said at a meeting devoted to improving Russia's ecology.
Economic incentives are necessary
The Prime Minister said economic measures could help convince companies to pay more attention to ecology.
"If a company actively invests in modernisation, energy-saving, ecologically-clean technologies, then it can count on preferential treatment."
The Prime Minister warned that without implementing new eco-friendly approach Russia would be playing catch-up with the rest of the world.
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