Recently, the Loksa waste station has become a place for the people of Loksa and the surrounding area, where you can take books that are placed on the shelves, and if you are interested, you can take books and magazines from there to take home.
Loksa development and environmental advisor Karin Ilves commented that the waste station has created a recycling department: “Robert Rohtla, the operator of the waste station, is a recycling enthusiast, thanks to the theme, it’s up and running.”
Robert Rohtla said that the recycling of books started when Lembit Lõhmus, a graphic artist who spends the summer in the village of Hara, brought old books to the waste station: “They were with bookplates. I didn’t think to send such valuable books to waste paper, and I asked the city government for a shelf, maybe they would be of interest to someone. Then collectors of bookplates came to the waste station and took the books for themselves. Other people also started bringing and taking books. We have received more cabinets from donors, made them into shelves, and now there are so many books that we would like to make a third row of shelves as well.”
He added that the oldest print brought to the landfill was the book of the Estonian Song Festival, which was published in Berlin in 1869. This book has found a new owner. Loksa’s first phone book has moved with its new owner to Jõelähtme parish.
“We know the local people and it has also happened that young people have not considered something important when cleaning the old farmhouse, we know other people in the family, we have contacted them and passed on items to them,” he said.
There is also a box of old clothes at the waste station, from which those interested can choose the ones that suit them. There is also a separate place for tableware, crockery and other tableware are brought there, and anyone who wants can take it and take it home. No return fee is charged for usable clothes, shoes, tableware. Old tires from cars, tractors and trucks, hazardous waste, old medicines, electronics, metal, waste paper and packaging can also be handed over free of charge.
Since February, there are two prices for construction waste and various other waste at the Loksa waste station – lower prices for residents of the city of Loksa and Kuusalu municipality, and higher prices for companies and all people who live elsewhere according to the population register. Until now, the price difference was only for private and business customers. According to the new procedure that came into effect in February, waste bringers are registered electronically by personal identification number. The computer program shows whether you have to pay for receiving waste on the basis of a cheaper or more expensive price list.
Robert Rohtla, who started working as an operator of the Loksa waste station a year and a half ago, said that due to the new price system, there are fewer people bringing waste from Haljala municipality: “Until now, waste was brought to us for a fee from Palms, Ilumäe, and other villages in Haljala municipality. Now the prices are higher for the people there, the municipality of Haljala does not financially support the operation of the Loksa waste plant. Prices are also higher for summer vacationers who are not registered in Loksa or Kuusalu parishes.”
Loksa waste station is operated by Tallinna Jäätmekeskus. The city of Loksa allocates 38,400 euros of operating support to the Waste Center, of which the municipality of Kuusalu provides 12,800 euros.
