They must confirm their capacity and the actual production of goods from waste or recyclable materials
Russia has begun to check recyclers. The first two on-site inspections of the companies were carried out by Rosprirodnadzor and the Russian Environmental Operator. After successful completion, recyclers will be able to get into the EPR register and continue their work. The pioneers were «NEK — UTILIZATION» in the Yaroslavl region and «PROEKO» in the Leningrad region. They have successfully proven their work to the commission and will now be able to provide recycling services within the framework of the Extended Producer Responsibility Act.
“From January 1, 2024, all EPR recyclers must be included in a special register. To get there, they must pass a test: confirmation that their equipment works, that it exists at all, that they actually produce the declared products. In February of this year, the Government gave the REO the authority to inspect waste disposers. Together with Rosprirodnadzor, we can now evaluate real recycling capacities, as well as the actual production of goods from waste or recyclable materials. After an audit of documents and a visit to the site, a decision is made whether or not to include the recycler in the register of those inspected. If the recycler is not in the register, compliance with standards under the EPR will not be taken into account! If a company is included in the register, it means that it has the appropriate capacities and permits, everything is in order and you can work with it,” said Denis Butsaev, General Director of the Russian Environmental Operator.
According to REO data, about 600 recycling enterprises can work in the EPR system if they are included in the register. At the moment, more than 350 applications have been submitted for inclusion in the register. To get into the register of recyclers, you need to send an application on the website of the system for recording waste from the use of goods and packaging (EFGIS UOIT). 
“We conducted two joint on-site inspections with inspectors from the Verkhnevolzhsky territorial administration and the North-Western territorial administration of Rosprirodnadzor at the NEK — UTILIZATION enterprises in the Yaroslavl region and PROEKO in the Leningrad region. At each of the enterprises they checked how the process was carried out, how exactly the product that was specified in the application was obtained. They also conducted an experiment to measure power: they took a certain volume of waste and ran it through the production line, estimating the speed at which it would be processed. Based on the results of the inspection, both companies were included in the register of recyclers,” said Igor Zabralov, director of sustainable development of REO.
According to the authorities’ idea, the inclusion of recyclers in the register, firstly, will exclude stories about fake acts of recycling, and secondly, it will increase the demand for their work: the services of recyclers will be cheaper than paying an environmental fee, thanks to the environmental coefficients in the new EPR rules. This will make the field of waste collection and recycling more transparent.
Recall that the public law company “Russian Environmental Operator” was created by presidential decree on January 14, 2019. The key task of REO is to form a comprehensive system for the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Russia. According to the national project “Ecology”, this is necessary to reduce the volume of solid waste disposal and thereby reduce the environmental burden on the population. The goal by 2030 is to sort 100% of the volume of MSW and reduce by 50% the MSW that goes to landfills. Achieving such indicators is impossible without building a circular economy.
Photo: Sber Press Service