Norwegian waste processing firms to relocate from Vilnius to Ignalina N-plant area

VILNIUS, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) — Two companies processing Norwegian plastic waste near Vilnius, whose odor emissions exceed legal limits by up to three times, plan to relocate to the protection zone around the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in northeastern Lithuania, where no people live.
EKO Perdirbimas and Retroplast, which process waste and produce plastic flakes, granules, and mixtures, were ordered to partially suspend operations earlier this month due to environmental violations, according to an investigative report by LRT, a local media outlet, on Friday.
The report noted that the majority shareholder of both companies is a Lithuanian citizen, while Norwegian businessman Per Jacob Haakonsen holds shares either directly or indirectly. Haakonsen’s company, PolymerTrade, has transported some of the plastic waste processed in Skaidiskes, a village near Vilnius, from Norway. Between 2016 and 2023, Haakonsen exported approximately 61,000 tons of plastic waste to Lithuania, with some also sent to other local companies.
Some of the Norwegian waste is incinerated or sent to landfills in Lithuania.
According to the Baltic News Service, a recent report found that odor levels outside the EKO Perdirbimas and Retroplast facilities ranged from 11.6 to 20.7 odor units, far exceeding the legal limit of eight units.
Residents of Skaidiskes reported that the odors worsened last year, becoming unbearable by the end of this summer, leading them to seek help from state authorities. ■