In Vilnius, surveillance cameras are already registering waste management violators: in a few weeks, more than 70

Bulky waste is often improperly handled, collected or transported by residents and left near waste containers. Violations recorded with video cameras have been handed over to the municipal public order department, violators face fines and the obligation to cover the costs of waste management. According to the recorded cases, most of the rapes were committed in Grigiškės, Justiniškės and Lazdynai, according to a press release.

“The recorded facts show that clutter near the containers and their sites does not fall from the sky. It is a pity that there are still people who irresponsibly pollute the environment in which they live most often and that everyone has to suffer as a result. With the help of video surveillance cameras, the main objective of advertising fixed infractions is prevention. Vilnius has all the necessary infrastructure for waste disposal, allowing residents to dispose of waste in an orderly manner without polluting the environment. Well, those who don’t understand this will not only have to cover the costs of disposing of the messy waste and also pay a fine, ”says Valdas Benkunskas, Vilnius’ deputy mayor.

According to Vicemer, the education of the population will not be forgotten either: information stickers have already appeared on the city’s garbage containers and, in the near future, it is planned to install information posts in the most problematic places, where the population will also learn how properly dispose of waste.

This year, VASA installed video cameras in almost all the elderly in the capital, mainly in those places where a particularly large amount of large-scale waste was recorded. The cameras capture people, cars and other objects at any time of the day. According to predefined parameters and different tasks, modern devices perform analysis of the monitored location. In a defined area, cameras capture emerging and missing objects, their sizes, proportions, movements, and length of stay. The system installed in the cameras transmits all alerts to VASA personnel about observed violations in real time.

“Looking at the images captured by the camera, we see that people of all ages, from children to the elderly, do not handle their waste properly. Most violators do not even attempt to open the lid of the container, throwing their bags into or behind the container. From the images we can see how residents carry and carry old chairs, mattresses, and debris left over after repairs to adjacent houses. About a third of the violations were committed by people who brought various packages, computer monitors, and even car tires to their cars and dumped them in containers, ”says Gintautas Mackonis, Head of VASA’s Waste Management Control Division.

Bulky waste (old furniture, repair and construction waste, appliances and plumbing, as well as car tires and other large obsolete items) should be taken by their owners to special sites or request a disposal service by contacting the waste haulers. Before the quarantine, residents could request a free service for removing bulky waste from their homes by contacting VASA (self-service). This service is currently suspended to reduce the risk of direct contact and spread of viruses. At the end of the quarantine, it will be provided again.

The waste management regulations approved by the municipalities establish that the waste management infraction carries a fine of 30 to 140 euros. Repeated violations can result in a fine of up to € 600 (for more information on waste management violations and applicable penalties, see the VASA website).

Bulky waste can be delivered to Vilnius County Waste Management Center sites (weights, quantities and conditions of waste collection for delivery are provided on the VAATC website, it is recommended to use pre-registration before go to site).