The noise of waste numbers and the Strategic deafness of Responsibility

Albania is producing more and more waste, yet the institutions tasked with managing this burden, namely local authorities and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, behave as if this reality does not exist.
National strategies are approved, documents are multiplied, but accountability is absent.
Instead of transparency and implementation, there are only frequent scheme changes, managerial restructurings, and decisions made without any obligation to explain them to citizens.

In 2024, 862,241 tons of waste were managed, marking an increase of 2.14% compared to 2023.
Each citizen generated on average 360 kg of waste per year, 9 kg more than the previous year.
The composition of waste remains the same: 57.3% is organic, while plastics and paper/cardboard each account for about 9–10%.
Treatment methods reflect an outdated model.
Approximately 76.3% is deposited in landfills, 18.8% is recycled, and only 4.9% is incinerated for energy, while illegal dumping is almost eliminated, amounting to only 0.02%.
These figures show a country producing more and more waste, yet treating it with methods dangerous to the environment and public health.
By 2025, landfill remained the “main solution,” a practice that pollutes groundwater, releases greenhouse gases, and threatens quality of life, even though until now incinerators were the solution the government claimed would partially solve the waste problem.

On paper, Albania seemed to have a clear path.
The 2020 National Sectoral Plan for Solid Waste Management sets measurable objectives for recycling, plastic reduction, and organic waste treatment. Previous strategies, such as the 2018 Sectoral Study for Integrated Waste Management, include a “master plan” for a circular economy. But in practice, these documents exist only on paper.
No detailed local plans are fully implemented, no sustainable budgets, and no monitoring mechanisms ensure execution. Frequent changes in management structures (public companies, joint ventures, private concessions) occur without consultation, often changing waste collection fees or contracts without notice.
The public lacks access to complete data on recycled waste amounts or expenditures.

In September 2025, the government approved the draft law “On Integrated Waste Management,” aiming for a comprehensive reform of waste treatment.
This draft law intends to create a sustainable waste management system supporting the transition to a circular economy.
According to the law, Albania will be divided into 10 Integrated Waste Management Zones, with 10 processing and sorting plants, 3 new landfills in Kukës, Dibër, and Berat, and the closure of 66 existing disposal sites.
The law establishes a National Waste Treatment Operator, shifting operational control from local authorities, while municipalities become “clients,” and it also envisages harsher penalties for polluters.
This government move masks the lack of transparency, accountability, and the risk of political corruption, presented as strong political will but without guarantees for real implementation.

Legally, municipalities retain primary responsibility for waste collection, transport, and treatment.
In practice, technical and financial capacity is minimal. Recycling facilities, composting systems, and modern energy-from-waste technologies are lacking. Waste collection fees are unstable and often fail to cover real costs, creating chronic debt and dependence on central government subsidies.
Lack of urban planning means many municipalities have neither licensed disposal sites nor routes for selective processing. This managerial gap allows arbitrary decisions and short-term contracts that change with every shift in local political leadership.

The central government is not exempt from this reality. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, responsible for coordinating strategies, does not provide a regular reporting mechanism on the progress of plans. Decisions regarding new landfills, incinerators, or fee changes are often made without public consultation or published cost-benefit analyses. T
Today, the government claims incinerators are harmful, whereas in fact, at the time of their approval years ago, this same government opposed their use in Europe – now only the numbers change, not the practices or their effectiveness.
The Ministry of Tourism and Environment, responsible for environmental protection, cannot exercise a strong oversight role.
Competencies are scattered, but accountability is missing. Thus, there is a “grey zone” where no one bears responsibility if objectives fail.

This dysfunction is not merely about statistics. Uncontrolled landfills emit methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO₂. Groundwater is polluted by leachates, while citizens face polluted air and risk of respiratory diseases. Meanwhile, limited recycling wastes the opportunity to recover hundreds of thousands of tons of valuable materials for the economy.

The solution requires concrete action.
Municipalities must publish detailed quarterly data on waste amounts, treatment methods, and expenditures. Collection fees must be transparent, based on real costs, and not changed arbitrarily. Investment in local capacities is needed: recycling, composting, waste-to-energy technologies, and trained staff. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Tourism, and municipalities must coordinate under a single authority that monitors the implementation of the National Sectoral Plan and imposes sanctions when objectives fail. Civil society and media must have access to data to exert pressure on decision-makers and ensure local needs are reflected in the plans.

The data speaks clearly!
Numbers rise, recycling stagnates, and landfill dominates. Strategies exist, but without implementation and accountability, they are worth no more than the weight of the paper they are written on.
In a country where every decision is made without necessary transparency, citizens remain unprotected, the environment degrades, and Albania loses every opportunity to approach European Union standards.
The country has only the noise of numbers and silence of responsibility, a burden weighing on the air, land, and the health of everyone.