Prügi

Prügi is the Estonian word for garbage or waste. It refers to materials discarded from households, businesses, and industry, including packaging, paper, plastics, glass, metals, organic matter, and hazardous waste. In everyday use, the term covers items that are no longer needed and are intended for disposal or processing. The concept also appears in various compound forms related to waste handling and infrastructure in Estonian, such as references to waste containers, collection, and treatment in policy and news.

In language and practice, prügi is a central term in discussions about cleanliness, environmental impact, and daily routines. People speak about sorting prügi into different streams, reducing prügi generation, and ensuring proper disposal to avoid pollution. Waste categories and the appropriate handling methods are commonly taught in schools and communicated by local authorities.

Estonia's approach to prügi is shaped by European Union directives and national law. Waste management is organized at the municipal level, with systems for source separation, collection, sorting, and treatment. Household waste is typically separated into streams such as paper, cardboard, glass, metal, plastics, organic waste, and hazardous waste. The country promotes recycling, composting, and energy recovery to minimize the amount sent to landfills, supported by public education and producer-responsibility schemes.

Overall, prügi management is a standard element of environmental policy in Estonia and related Baltic contexts, reflecting commitments to sustainable resource use and a circular economy.