A woman looking at garbage trucks in the yard was suspected of waving a bag of unopened containers even though it appeared empty

Just shook

Gražina 15 minutes He said he accidentally filmed the work of garbage haulers in one of the courtyards on Sporto Street. When the garbage truck blocked the exit, the woman behind remained to observe Ekonovus’ work.

“On Wednesday morning, around 9.30, I had to witness an image on Sporto Street that shocked me. Workers from the garbage collection company took out the garbage bag, lifted it, simply shook it (it was apparently empty) and lowered it.

I was wondering what was going on here, when the whole city is drowning in garbage, is garbage collection just simulated? Since I still had to drive from behind (because the traffic was blocked due to the ‘work’ of the garbage truck), I decided to film the nonsense that is happening in Vilnius, “said Gražina.

Justified by heaps of trash

There is no shortage of complaints about untimely waste in Vilnius this week, and huge piles have formed in some parts of the city.

The deputy mayor of the capital, Valdas Benkunskas, was forced to apologize because, according to Monday’s data, more than a fifth of the garbage was not removed last weekend due to accumulations of snow in the patios of the dormitories of the capital.

“The main problem is the accumulation of snow in the backyards of the sleeping areas, when there is no access due to the narrow roads or heavy vehicles cannot enter from the rear because it is slippery,” said Monday the vice mayor to BNS.

According to him, there are also challenges for waste managers when removing rubbish due to cars parked near containers.

Data from the Vilnius Waste System Administrator (VASA) showed that Ekonovus did not provide services at 25% and Ecoservice at 20% over the weekend. containers.

Pay for air?

And by the middle of this week, the places with the garbage were not completely resolved.

That is why Gražina assures her even more indignation: “In my opinion, the pinnacle of absurdity here seems an obvious fraud and imitation of work by moving empty bags when other houses are drowning in trash.

After checking the container service information at VASA’s self-service, I was completely amazed. It indicates that the weight of the container was 180 kilograms. As you can see in the video, the garbage bag was not even untied, so residents have to pay for air?

As you can see in the video, the garbage bag was not even untied, so residents have to pay for air?

He did not hide by calling Ekonovus, a company that provides services in his territory, but was told there that the company had not repaired that container at all today, possibly because it had not been brought to the point of service.

Clarifying that it is a semi-underground stationary container, he simply referred to the complaint to write to VASA.

Carriers: the bag was not empty

Ramūnas Papinigis, Deputy General Manager of the Ekonovus Waste Management Company 15 minutes in a comment made, he claimed that a glance actually showed the difference between a bag that was lifted and one that had already been emptied.

“The captured video clearly shows the difference between the appearance of an empty garbage bag when it is lifted and lowered. In the first case, the bottom of the bag widens due to the domestic garbage it contains, and when it is emptied, the bottom of the bag becomes narrower.

The resident may have been misled by the fact that in this case the bag was certainly not completely full. I want to point out that the total capacity of the bag is 5 cubic meters. meters, and 180 kg of household waste account for only about a fifth of this total volume. In general, a completely full bag can weigh between 800 and 900 kg or more, “said R. Papinigis.

The captured video clearly shows the difference between the appearance of an empty garbage bag when lifted and lowered.

He said that he could make sure that the company’s activities, such as waste weighing processes, were very clearly and strictly regulated:

“When we weigh waste, we use equipment that has special requirements. At the back of every garbage truck we own, there is a container lifting mechanism with built-in scales.

The full waste container is weighed by lifting it and the analogous procedure is repeated by lowering the empty container. The difference obtained is treated as the weight of the waste and is recorded in a special journal from which invoices are issued to the population. These mechanisms for weighing the waste container have been metrologically tested. “

R. Papinigis stated that the company carries out metrological inspection of scales in accordance with the established requirements, there are documents that confirm this for each garbage truck.

Therefore, the probability of errors when weighing the residuals is low.

VASA also found no violations

VASA representatives also state that they have contacted a waste transportation company that provides services on this street:

“It just came to our attention then. The video material was carefully reviewed on several occasions by specialists from our company’s Waste Management Control Department, and their conclusion was that the service was performed correctly.

In fact, the first time you look at a filmed emptying of a waste container, questions and doubts can arise. However, knowing the details of this work and looking closely, there are visible details that allow us to conclude that in this case the work was done correctly.

That the waste was in the bag and was thrown into the garbage truck is shown by the change in the shape of the bag before and after emptying (photo attached). The unpacking and lashing of the bag is controlled remotely by means of a rope, a step carried out by a carrier who is a little further from the garbage truck.

In fact, the first time you look at a filmed emptying of a waste container, questions and doubts can arise.

According to the company that oversees waste management in Vilnius, this type and size of bag can contain a total of about 800 kg of waste, and depending on the weight of the emptied waste (180 kg) and the visible image in the video material , That weight has likely been emptied.

10 VASA waste management controllers work in shifts 7 days a week.

According to the company, they visit the municipal mixed waste collection sites and containers in the city several times a week.

For example, in December 2020, the number of inspections of municipal waste landfills was 12,010, of containers – 44,850, and in January 2021 the number of inspections: sites – about 16,840, containers – 62,840.

“The Waste Management Control Department regularly inspects not only waste collection sites and containers, but also data on waste shipments provided by waste haulers. Our controllers also carry out unscheduled inspections, selecting various locations in case of suspicion about the veracity of the data, in response to the reports received from the population.

We review and analyze the data provided by carriers on a monthly basis based on operational information and statistical calculations. If discrepancies are identified in the data provided in the information system, we ask the carriers to provide clarifications and explanations, we require visual evidence (photo, video) in cases where it is indicated that the waste could not be shipped in accordance with the established schedule for certain reasons ”, says Edita Sirutienė, Communications Manager of VASA.

The company not only controls the carriers, but also helps to solve problems, for example, when in case of natural disasters it is impossible to access the containers due to dirty and slippery roads, the cars parked in passages in the yards, request the municipality, clean, ask for public order and police assistance.