TALLINNA LINNAS TEKKIVATE OLMEJÄÄTMETE TAASKASUTAMISE TÕHUSTAMISE UURING PARIMATE PRAKTIKATE NÄITEL

This 2014 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI Tallinn), commissioned by the Tallinn Environmental Department, analyzes the municipal solid waste (MSW) management system in Tallinn. It evaluates waste volumes, composition, and the effectiveness of separate collection systems for packaging, bio-waste, paper, textiles, and bulky waste. The report compares different waste management models and uses life-cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the environmental impact of various treatment scenarios, including mass incineration and mechanical-biological treatment (MBT).

• Between 2004 and 2012, the total amount of municipal solid waste generated in Tallinn remained between 198,000 and 220,000 tonnes per year. In 2012, approximately 202,000 tonnes were produced, equating to roughly 500 kg per person annually based on a population of 416,144.
• The composition of municipal waste in Tallinn in 2012 showed that packaging waste accounted for approximately 48% and biodegradable waste for about 53%. Within the biodegradable fraction, paper and cardboard made up over 55%.
• Analysis of mixed municipal waste (residual waste) reveals that bio-waste (31.6%), plastics (17.7%), and paper/cardboard (15.3%) are the largest components. The high proportion of plastic packaging in mixed waste suggests that separate collection for packaging has not become more efficient in recent years.
• The report identifies significant contamination in separately collected bio-waste, with some analyses showing that other waste and impurities make up 27% of the flow. This is attributed to low public awareness and the overflow of adjacent mixed waste containers.
• The 'Tallinn Waste Centre' (Tallinna Jäätmekeskus) model, where the city acts as a central coordinator between the waste collector and the generator, is evaluated as the most effective for achieving waste management goals. However, 2014 legislative changes in Estonia restricted the use of such in-house models, meaning the city can no longer use this specific central arrangement.
• The report concludes that a free-market model for waste collection is the most problematic from a municipal perspective, as it leads to higher prices in sparsely populated areas, increased illegal dumping, and a lack of municipal control over recycling targets.
• Life-cycle assessment (LCA) results indicate that landfilling has the most negative environmental impact. Mass incineration in a high-efficiency plant (like the Iru plant) is found to be more environmentally positive than Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) because it replaces fossil fuels (oil shale and natural gas) for heat and electricity production.
• For bio-waste treatment, the report suggests that anaerobic digestion for biogas production should be preferred over composting due to its lower environmental impact and energy recovery potential.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). TALLINNA LINNAS TEKKIVATE OLMEJÄÄTMETE TAASKASUTAMISE TÕHUSTAMISE UURING PARIMATE PRAKTIKATE NÄITEL. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4530.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. TALLINNA LINNAS TEKKIVATE OLMEJÄÄTMETE TAASKASUTAMISE TÕHUSTAMISE UURING PARIMATE PRAKTIKATE NÄITEL. 2014. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4530.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=TALLINNA LINNAS TEKKIVATE OLMEJÄÄTMETE TAASKASUTAMISE TÕHUSTAMISE UURING PARIMATE PRAKTIKATE NÄITEL |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4530.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014tallinna, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{TALLINNA LINNAS TEKKIVATE OLMEJÄÄTMETE TAASKASUTAMISE TÕHUSTAMISE UURING PARIMATE PRAKTIKATE NÄITEL}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4530.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }