Recycling businesses in Albania press parliament to pass law on waste import

Representatives of the recycling industry businesses in Albania held a protest Wednesday demanding lawmakers pass the law on integrated waste management allowing Albania to import waste to be later used by these businesses, local media reported.

Their protest in front of the parliament buildings comes a day after the plenary session where the law on integrated waste management was expected to be discussed by Members of Parliament (MPs).

According to industry representatives, the parliament should adopt this law as soon as possible as further delays hampered businesses operating in this sector.

There can be no clean Albania without the recycling industry, one of the representatives told media here.

The law that allows waste imports has spurred very strong and heated debates in Albania.

A week ago, hundreds of representatives of civil society, alliance against waste import, and citizens of Albania held a protest asking the government to turn down the law.

After Albanian President Bujar Nishani returned the law to parliament for revision, debates and protests escalated.

On one hand, citizens, civil society and opposition strongly object the law, while on the other, businesses engaged in this industry complain of going bankrupt if the law approval is further delayed. Endit