Furthermore, there seems to be no solution in sight for final waste processing. Cost plays a major factor. Waste management is up to six times more expensive in Russia than in Finland.
According to Marjan Novitski, a professor of agriculture in St. Petersburg, Russia lacks competition in waste management and transport, and at landfills.
Nevertheless, Finnish project participants are happy with even minor results. They point to a pilot project located north of Vyborg, in Russian Karelia. The area was once filled with trash. Now dozens of illegal dumps have been turned into playgrounds and summer cottage areas, all equipped with composts and waste containers.
Residents are eager to join in the project as information on protecting the environment spreads. The project has also targeted Russian truck drivers by asking them to stop littering roads.
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