Month: February 2024

PET Baltija management board changes

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On February 16, Kaspars Ezernieks, a member of the board and executive director of PET bottle recycling company JSC (AS) PET Baltija, that is part of the largest environmental resource management group in the Baltics, JSC (AS) Eco Baltia, resigned due to personal reasons. Currently, the functions of the board will be carried out by its remaining members, while the responsibilities of the executive director will be internally reassigned within the company.

Jūlija Zandersone, head of Eco Baltia Recycling Sector and Chairwoman of Management Board of JSC (AS) PET Baltija: ‘Kaspars has demonstrated a high level of professionalism in the development of the company, helping PET Baltija to become more competitive on the recycled raw materials market. As we worked together, we took significant steps towards setting up a new plant in Olaine, proving that even in a relatively short time, determination can yield positive results. I am confident that Kaspars’ energy and extensive competences will remain a valuable example for PET Baltija in the future. At the same time,we acknowledge and comprehend the choice to conclude the employment, and extend our heartfelt wishes to Kaspars for continued success in both his personal and professional endeavors..’

Having been a board member and executive director of PET Baltija since last July,
Ezernieks was in charge of the operations of the company in line with the Eco Baltia’s strategic goals. Ezernieks also managed the successful relocation of the existing PET Baltija production facility to new premises in Olaine, the implementation of the LEAN culture, the fulfilment of plans, and other duties pertaining to the company’s operation and development. Prior to that, Ezernieks had spent thirteen years in management positions, including at Stora Enso, a leading manufacturer and supplier of renewable packaging, biomaterials, wooden structures, and paper, where he was the head of the Launkalne production facility based in Latvia.

As of now, it is planned that in Ezernieks’ absence, the currently remaining members of the management board of PET Baltija – board Chairwoman Jūlija Zandersone, and board members Matīss Leitis, Dagnija Ļevčenoka, and Jekaterina Vasiljeva – will perform the functions of the PET Baltija management board.

About PET Baltija:

PET Baltija is one of the largest PET recycling companies in Northern Europe and the largest PET recycling company in the Baltic region operating in Latvia. It is majority-owned by Eco Baltia, the largest environmental and waste management group in the Baltics. Eco Baltia provides full-cycle waste management solutions from waste collection and sorting to logistics, wholesale and processing of recycled materials. PET Baltia recycles used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and is an industry leader in the Baltic States. The recycling portfolio includes high quality PET flake pellets (including those suitable for food packaging), almost 100% of which are exported.

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Eco Baltia vide invests EUR 2.3 million in the development of two construction waste sorting and recycling sites

LLC (SIA) Eco Baltia vide, the company of the largest environmental resource management group in the Baltics JSC (AS) Eco Baltia, invests EUR 2.3 million in the construction and equipping of two construction waste sorting and recycling sites. The sites will be located in the Latvia – Pierīga Region (Rumbula) and Liepāja, and are scheduled to open this spring. The investment aims to consolidate the company’s commitment to the circular economy by reducing the amount of construction waste generated and ensuring reusing thereof.

The planned area of the construction waste sorting and recycling site in Pierīga Region is 3 ha out of a total land area of 4 ha. Its capacity will allow for the daily reception of around 50 tonnes of various types of construction and bulky construction waste (concrete, cement, reinforced concrete structures, tiles, ceramic and plaster materials, bricks, timber materials, etc.) primarily from the regions managed by Eco Baltia vide. In the first year, the anticipated volume of construction waste to be handled is expected to exceed 12 600 tonnes.

One of the advantages of this site is its multi-stage recycling technology. Pre-sorting will be carried out on two levels: larger items (over 50 cm in diameter) will be separated by tractor, while smaller items will be manually separated and sent to automated equipment for further shredding. The shredded items will be sieved and then directed to two cabins. In each booth, 4-6 people will sort the recycled material into different fractions such as wood, plasterboard, metal, cardboard, glass, rigid plastic, etc. and perform a final quality control to ensure as much high-quality material as possible. The acquired materials, including cardboard or plastic, are intended for recycling, while the processed construction materials will be employed for road construction and building activities. The site will employ a total of 16 people.

Jānis Aizbalts, the Chairman of the Board of the Eco Baltia vide informs: “With the expansion of the construction industry comes a corresponding increase in waste production. However, the willingness of residents to separate construction waste is not increasing significantly, so a mutual contribution becomes crucial. It is up to individuals to dispose of all types of construction waste responsibly, and for the industry to find new and innovative solutions to promote the efficient reuse and recycling of resources. One way to achieve this is through process automation. Our projections show that around 85% of the extracted materials, which in fact make up almost the entire Mendeleev Table, will become valuable resources, as opposed to the risk of being disposed of in landfills, causing significant damage to the environment and to ourselves.”

The construction waste sorting site in Liepāja at 11 Ezermalas Streetwill cover the territory of 140 m². All types of construction waste will be transported from Eco Baltia vide management regions in Southern Kurzeme, such as Liepāja, Grobiņa and other cities. The capacity is planned to gradually increase to 2 400 tonnes per year. The pre-sorting of construction waste will be carried out both by tractor and by hand, employing 3-4 people in total. It is planned to extend the acceptance of construction waste from other customers on request, targeting the development of construction waste management as an important business area.

The European Union requires its Member States to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill to 10% by 2035. Currently, about half of the municipal waste generated each year in Latvia is landfilled. In Europe, the figure was half that in 2020 – 23%, indicating the need to accelerate the implementation of the Green Deal policy, both by strengthening recycling capacity and by ensuring that sorting is as accessible as possible to everyone in Latvia at the point of generation*.

* Report from the European Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

12.02.2024.