In connection with the accusations made by municipal councilor Vanya Grigorova and the widespread manipulative footage from within the Sofia Waste Treatment Plant (SPTO), the Sofia Municipality states that such attempts to create an “alternative reality” grossly ignore the facts and technological processes of an industrial facility.
The distributed photos, which are presented as evidence of disorder, actually show bales of RDF fuel and recyclable materials, the temporary placement of which on the technological aisles is part of the plant's work during increased production. It is important to emphasize that in the original project of the plant, special facilities for long-term storage of RDF were never built, which is why its operational management is entrusted to the expert team of the enterprise, which, within the mandate of Mayor Vasil Terziev, achieved unprecedented results in the interest of the city.
„Regarding the allegations of an institutional „umbrella“ by the RIEW, the facts indicate exactly the opposite – in the current mandate, the plant is subject to unprecedented control. While under the previous administration the state carried out only 4 inspections in 8 years, for the last two years the inspections by the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and Water have been over 20,“ said the Deputy Mayor for Ecology Eng. Nikolay Nedelkov.
He explained that the last inspection this week ended with the finding that all activities — from reception to disposal — are carried out in full compliance with the comprehensive permit.
„If this is an umbrella, then it is probably a „beach umbrella“, under which it is quite hot for the violators,“ added Nedelkov.
It was during this term that the SPTO not only ensured operational capacity during the garbage collection crisis, but also extended the life of the landfill until 2029, with forecasts of its capacity being exhausted as early as 2024. The plant's work has not stopped for a minute: in 2025, a new historical record of over 113,000 tons of RDF delivered for utilization was registered, and data for the first six months of 2026 show 42,020 tons delivered, which is significantly above the levels from the same period in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The deputy mayor was categorical that the suggestions of financial violations also do not correspond to the truth: “The suggestions of evading fees from the state budget are also unfounded. The deductions under Art. 60 and Art. 64 of the Waste Management Act are collected in special accounts of the Sofia Municipality and are used solely for the management and closure of the landfills, without any relation to the republican budget.“
The management of the plant has not only been stabilized in the last two years, but also led to 5 times higher revenues from recyclable materials (over 1.7 million leva for 2024-2025) and 4 million leva in costs saved only for the first months of 2026 through the termination of unprofitable contracts. Sofia Municipality will not allow political suggestions and manipulative interpretations to replace the facts of restoring control, increasing the efficiency and modernization of the waste management system. The results of the Waste Management Agency are visible, measurable and in the interest of the citizens of Sofia.