91% of people in Latvia support recovering energy from waste that is not suitable for recycling

10.07.25

As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for waste-to-energy (WtE) project in Acone, Salaspils municipality, Latvia, Gren conducted a public opinion survey in late April 2025 in cooperation with SKDS, a leading Latvian market and public opinion research agency.  The aim was to understand how residents in Latvia view energy recovery from waste that is not suitable for recycling or reuse and is generated locally.

The results show that support for this solution is consistently high across all age groups and regions of Latvia, exceeding 80% in every segment. Support is slightly higher among younger people (93%) and those approaching retirement age (92%).

Key findings from the survey:

 

  • 91% support energy recovery from waste that is not suitable for recycling or reuse.

  • 87% would prefer the construction of a waste-to-energy facility over opening a new landfill or expanding an existing one.

  • 73% believe that landfilling of waste in Latvia should be reduced.

Andris Vanags, Gren Country Manager in Latvia, emphasizes: “Recovering energy from waste that is not suitable for recycling or reuse is a vital step toward a greener and more sustainable future. It not only reduces the volume of waste sent to landfills but also enables us to generate energy from resources that would otherwise be lost. This approach significantly reduces environmental impact while strengthening both regional and national energy security and independence. In Latvia, this critical element is still missing. Although landfill volumes have decreased, sorting alone will not be sufficient to meet the European Union’s target to landfill no more than 10% of municipal waste by 2035. Additional solutions are needed, including efficient and safe energy recovery from waste. It is encouraging to see that society increasingly understands the seriousness of the issue and is open to modern, technologically proven, and environmentally responsible solutions.”

The survey was conducted by the research centre SKDS as a nationally representative online survey, with 1,005 Latvian residents aged 18 to 75 participating.