Region Waste Management Center - Kaunas

Established on March 2, 2005 in order to create a coherent and sustainable waste management system in Kaunas region.

Kauno RATC

The shareholders of the institution are 6 Kaunas county municipalities (Kaunas city, Kaunas district, Kaišiadorys, Jonava, Kėdainiai, Raseiniai) and UAB Kauno švara. Under the Treaty establishing the Region, the municipalities undertook to adhere to the principles of creating a unified waste management system for the successful implementation of the project of national significance.
LTL 63.6 million has been allocated for the project "Development of Waste Management System in Kaunas Region”. LTL EU and national funds, of which the EU Cohesion Fund financed 75%. Project duration - 2004-2009.
The main function of Kaunas RWMC is to implement and operate a regional waste management system, which includes waste collection, transportation, recycling and disposal in the entire territory administered by municipalities.
Kaunas RWMC is responsible for construction, expansion and modernization, reclamation and safe operation of non-hazardous waste in Lapės and Zabieliškis regional landfills.

    

 
Moreover, the establishment and administration of 13 largescale waste collection sites. In 2021, 3840.2 t of waste was collected in regional largescale waste sites, that were reused or recycled – comparing to 2020, the amount of waste increased by 733.46 t. Also, in 7 of the largescale waste sites exchange centers are working. The idea of these centers is the opportunity to share reusable items, bring them to second life, and thus reduce consumption.

   

Organization of 3 green waste collection sites is also one of the activities Kaunas RMWC is responsible for. In 2021 the amount of collected green waste was 8817.33 t – compared to 2020, the amount of collected waste increased by 337.21 t.

 

Kaunas regional waste management center is responsible for organization and administration of household mixed municipal solid waste treatment in Kaunas region. For this purpose, mechanical biological treatment (MBT) and mechanical treatment (MT) plants in Kaunas city and Kėdainiai district were established. In 2021, 144827.6 t of mixed municipal solid waste was treated in these treatment plants – compared to 2020, the amount of treated municipal waste increased by 783.63 t. Due to the modernization of the treatment plants, the amount of recovered materials increased. For example, the amount of recovered secondary materials from mixed municipal waste stream in 2021 was 1279.73 t – compered to 2020, the extraction of secondary materials increased by 329 t. Moreover, the amount of disposed waste in landfills decreased from 30 096.2 t in 2020, to 13 958.64 t in 2021 (decrease of 16 107.2 t). The main path of waste treatment in 2021 was incineration (waste to energy) – in 2020, 55 939.8 t of waste was reused for energy, and in 2021, the amount increased by 9 384.9 t (65. 324.7 t in total).