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Moscow Ships its Trash to its Neighbors, and They're Fighting Back

Charles Maynes

   MOSCOW - Contemporary Moscow can often seem a glittery city of dreams
   -- the Russian capital arguably more efficient, cleanand well-run than
   many of its Western counterparts.

   But behind the glamour lies an uncomfortable truth: Russia's largest
   city is choking on garbage.

   The city's 12 million residents produce more than 7 million tons of
   waste per year -- 20% of Russia's entire output -- according to
   government figures. Industrial waste raises that number even higher,
   and only a fraction of that amount is currently recycled.

   For now, most ends up in places like Alexandrov, a picturesque historic
   town just a few hours'drive from the capital that's home to one of
   several dozen landfills that surround Moscow.

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