Sofia Municipality is considering banning the disposal of bulky waste next to the gray containers. Deputy Mayor for Ecology Nikolay Nedelkov is preparing a report for the Sofia Municipal Council, in which he will propose new locations for disposing of large items and changes to the way they are collected.
Documents have already been submitted to the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water for four special sites. They will be located in three Sofia districts – one in „Vitosha“, one in „Lyulin“ and two in „Vrabnitsa“. Residents will be able to dispose of bulky waste there free of charge.
The expectation is that the sites will be ready by the end of the summer or at the beginning of 2027. Nedelkov is also calling on other district mayors to express interest so that the network can cover more parts of the city.
Collection services by request are also being discussed
The municipality is considering allowing residents to request the collection of old furniture and other large items by phone or email. The district inspectorates will process and approve the requests, after which a truck will be sent to the specified address.
A similar practice already exists in several regional cities. According to Nikolay Nedelkov, it could also be introduced in Sofia. The possibility of having the service offered by the municipal company „Sofekostroy“ for a fee is being discussed, with prices based on those charged by private companies. Under this option, the revenue would remain with the municipal company.
The plans also include the construction of a facility for processing bulky waste. Items that can be reused will be separated there. The remaining waste will be sent to a landfill. According to the deputy mayor, this will make the work of the municipal companies „Sofekostroy“ and „Sofinvest“ easier.
„MaGaTa Fest“ to have more editions
In 2027, Sofia Municipality plans to expand the „MaGaTa Fest“ initiative. The idea is for events to be held almost every weekend, with each administrative district hosting between six and seven editions per year.
During the festival, residents will be able to dispose of old furniture and mattresses, car tires, packaging, textiles, electrical and electronic equipment, and other waste free of charge.
At the first edition in the „Slatina“ district in September, more than 4.5 tons of waste were collected. The amounts included 2 tons of old furniture and mattresses, 1.5 tons of car tires, 500 kilograms of household hazardous waste, 200 kilograms of textiles and shoes, 150 kilograms of packaging waste, 110 kilograms of electrical and electronic equipment, and 50 kilograms of unusable batteries.
Sources: nova.bg