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Lithuanians decry 'cosmic' waste fees for empty homes
๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡น Lithuania /Economy & Trade

Lithuanians decry 'cosmic' waste fees for empty homes

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Residents in Lithuania's Zarasai district are protesting high waste disposal fees, which are charged per property regardless of occupancy or actual waste generation.
  • Individuals are paying significant annual fees, sometimes exceeding 70 euros per property, even for vacant homes or those without active waste collection.
  • The municipality states the fees are legally mandated and tied to property ownership, not residency, leading to frustration among residents who feel they are paying for unused services.

Residents of Lithuania's Zarasai district are expressing outrage over what they call "cosmic" waste disposal fees. The charges are levied per property, regardless of whether anyone lives there or if waste is actually generated or collected. This system has left many feeling like they are paying substantial amounts for services they do not use.

Sums are cosmic, everyone was stunned this year.

โ€” DaivaDescribing the high waste disposal fees.

One resident, Daiva (name changed), shared that her elderly mother-in-law, who has not lived in her apartment for five years, received a bill for 76 euros for waste disposal for the upcoming year. Despite the apartment being vacant, with utilities disconnected and no waste collection, the bills continue to arrive and increase annually. "We've gotten tired of fighting it," Daiva stated, highlighting the community's widespread dissatisfaction with the waste management system across the municipality.

And you pay even if there is no waste there at all.

โ€” DaivaExplaining the charges for vacant properties.

Adding to the frustration, some residents do not have individual waste bins and must rely on shared containers in town. These communal bins are often overflowing, and residents are sometimes forced to take their waste back home if they cannot dispose of it. Even for those using shared bins, the fees remain high. Daiva noted that her small, 60-square-meter house incurred a bill of over 70 euros, despite not having a private bin and facing long waits for communal bin collection.

We've gotten tired of fighting it.

โ€” DaivaExpressing resignation with the ongoing billing issues.

A municipal official, Jurgita Ulkienฤ—, defended the fees, explaining that the local charge is based on Lithuanian legal acts and municipal regulations. She emphasized that the fee is linked to the ownership or use of a property within the municipality, not to the resident's declared address or actual living situation. This explanation, however, has done little to appease residents who feel the system is unfair and financially burdensome.

We don't even have our own container, and we have to wait half a month for the communal containers to be emptied, marinating our waste?

โ€” DaivaQuestioning the value of the fees given the lack of adequate service.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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