Blagoevgrad mayor Metodi Baykushev opened a forum in Albena on the switch to the new household waste fee. The discussion is part of the Annual Meeting of Local Authorities and is titled "Sustainable municipal systems and the move to the new household waste fee – first lessons and possible solutions".

Last year 15 municipalities in Bulgaria brought in the fee on the "polluter pays" principle, Baykushev said.

He said the issue is sensitive for the public because it directly affects quality of life. Municipalities that have already switched have used different methods, and there is no single solution for all of them.

The first results show that municipalities needed a full investment system and a well-founded split of costs, the mayor said.

The switch must happen without interrupting services for residents. Rubbish collection cannot stop while a municipality runs public tenders and builds the new systems, so the change takes time, Baykushev said.