Riga, May 21 (LETA) - The activities of the Vidzeme waste management company ZAAO are based on the fact that waste collection will become more expensive for the lazy residents, Gints Kukainis, Chairman of the Board of ZAAO, told LETA in an interview.

He said that ZAAO has been active in waste sorting for more than 15 years and offers many sorting opportunities to the population.

"By "the lazy" we mean those residents who do not want to sort anything and just throw everything into one container. It will cost more and more every year to collect this waste," said Kukainis, stressing that ZAAO mission is to use the money of the "lazy residents" to create an infrastructure for those who sort waste.

Kukainis pointed out that ZAAO has installed many underground containers in all major cities, which are aesthetical, fit into the urban environment, need to be taken out less often, and therefore have fewer transport emissions. There are also 778 sorting points where people can dispose of their waste free of charge, and 21 waste disposal sites.

At the same time, this year, in line with shareholder demand and encouragement, ZAAO will also extend separate collection to customers' homes.

"If previously we installed packaging and glass containers free of charge in large cities, but customers had to pay for household and biological waste, now we will offer this service also in villages," emphasized Kukainis, pointing out that this means that also in Vidzeme villages will no longer have to pay for sorting packaging and glass.

According to Firmas.lv, last year ZAAO posted a turnover of EUR 15.408 million, which is 26.8 perent more than the year before, while its profit increased 4.5 times to EUR 272,664.

The company was registered in 1998 and has a share capital of EUR 3,252,078. ZAAO is owned by the municipalities of Valmiera, Cesis, Limbazi, Smiltene, Gulbene, Aluksne, Madona, Valka, Saulkrasti, Sigulda and Balvi. The Group includes ZAAO and ZAAO Energija.