The Problematics of the Import of Waste and the Recycling Sector in Albania after 1990

Recently in Albania there is an ongoing and heated debate concerning the import of wastes of “the Green List†. Basically the entire spectrum of our society, such as politicians, experts and civil society leaders are involved in this debate. The various interest groups involved don’t just argue about the profits our economy and the environment stand to make from the recycling industry, but about the fact how controlled is the imported wastes, will they be treated according to the international standards, will they pose a threat to the wildlife, etc. In a country like Albania where until a few years ago the issue of wastes, as they are called in everyday speech, has been a big one; wastes were present everywhere, in the streets, city centres, rivers banks, along the coastline, even in some protected areas it is difficult to admit that recycling will proceed at the same pace as in the developed countries, which in turn display sharp differences among themselves as well. According to Eurostat in 2013 there was a big difference among the member states of the EU regarding recycling. Germany has the highest percentage of recycled municipal solid waste, at 64% compared to 3% in Romania while the EU recycling average is about 28%.1 In our country the development of the recycling industry is fraught with serious issues and may result in unwanted side effects given the fact 70% of it is imported meanwhile our national waste goes untreated, the environmental standards are not met and the proper infrastructure is missing.