The company responsible for separate waste collection in Sofia, Ecobulpak AD, has informed the Sofia Municipality that it intends to stop collecting recyclable materials from colored containers in 18 districts of the city. The notification, received by Mayor Vasil Terziev on November 4, immediately drew sharp criticism from City Hall, which described the move as “unacceptable” and “arbitrary.”

According to the municipality, the measure will affect almost all of Sofia’s central and residential districts, including Vazrazhdane, Krasno Selo, Lozenets, Oborishte, Sredets, Izgrev, Ilinden, Serdika, Slatina, Mladost, Triaditsa, Nadezhda, Lyulin, Poduyane, Studentski, Vrabnitsa, Novi Iskar, and Bankya. Ecobulpak will continue operating in only a few areas such as Vitosha, Iskar, Krasna Polyana, Kremikovtsi, Ovcha Kupel, and Pancharevo.

The company’s decision follows a dispute with the municipality over the handling of waste. Just days before the announcement, Ecobulpak reportedly tried to deposit four tons of recyclable waste at the Sofia Waste Treatment Plant (SWTP), claiming it was household waste. Laboratory tests proved otherwise, and the delivery was refused. The municipality believes this rejection prompted the company to withdraw from its obligations.

Sofia officials insist that burying or discarding recyclable materials is entirely unacceptable, stressing the environmental risks of such practices. They called on the Ministry of Environment and Water to step in and ensure that Ecobulpak and other recovery organizations comply with their legal duties.

The municipality also pointed out that Ecobulpak’s actions coincided with the introduction of a crisis waste management plan in Lyulin and Krasno Selo. In Lyulin, where the municipality temporarily organized its own collection system, 35 tons of recyclable waste were gathered in one week - almost double the usual amount. This, City Hall argued, shows that the new system works efficiently and that stricter oversight is producing results.

Municipal officials claim Ecobulpak’s decision has no contractual grounds and view it as an attempt to pressure the city administration. They say the increased monitoring and more frequent servicing of containers have likely caused dissatisfaction among private operators. The city emphasized that Sofia’s recycling reforms aim for transparency, better quality control, and less waste going to landfills - objectives that will not be abandoned under private pressure.

In a broader context, Sofia Municipality reminded that revenues from the sale of recyclable materials at the SWTP exceeded 1.75 million leva in 2025, nearly five times the figure in 2023. According to the city, these results prove that the new waste management model is effective and benefits both citizens and the environment.

The municipality has taken the matter to court, challenging recovery organizations that opposed new regulatory requirements designed to raise recycling standards. Sofia officials say their goal is to ensure fairness, accountability, and efficiency in waste collection, emphasizing that no company will be allowed to “blackmail” the city or obstruct its efforts toward a clean and modern capital.

Sofia Municipality reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining strong public oversight, introducing tougher controls, and working closely with state authorities to safeguard the integrity of the waste management system. “We will not allow private interests to undermine Sofia’s path toward sustainability and a recycling-oriented future,” the city’s statement concluded.