According to the European Commission’s study Latvia is far behind the targets set in the field of waste management. Therefore, everyone involved in the waste management system must participate and help to improve the situation - consumers, producers, local authorities, waste management companies and policy makers. Waste management is a complex socioeconomic process governed by more than 40 different laws in Latvia, which means that the regulatory framework is fragmented and performed at certain levels. Changes in the amount of municipal waste generated in Latvia are directly dependent on the country’s economic activity or changes in GDP value, as demonstrated by a strong correlation between the two indicators (0,96). The authors of the research evaluate the implementation procedure of the Latvian waste management system and its legal framework, as well as analyse the National Waste Management Plan 2021-2028, thus identifying all the possible present and future problems in waste management. Although the waste recycling rates are low and since 2015 the annual reporting in the amount of waste disposed in landfills has occurred in Latvia, the latest data show that Latvia will not achieve the 50% recycling level set out in the EU Directive in 2020, which may mean a fine for failing to achieve the target. Despite the fact that biodegradable waste accounts for 49% of the total amount of municipal waste generated by Latvian residents, there is no adequate infrastructure in the country for separate collection and efficient recycling or recovery of such waste, obtaining energy or by-products to be reused in the economy. After analysing the data, the authors developed a concept of waste management which could help to promote sustainable urban environment. The municipality of Riga city is subject of the research. The concept of waste management has been developed, based on the basic principles of sustainability and addressing the growing problem of biodegradable waste with an aim to promote the transition of the municipal waste management system to a recycling model that would achieve the European Union’s waste policy goals by 2025. It is society’s duty and responsibility to protect the environment, considering sustainable waste management. To achieve this, active collaboration among various stakeholders needs to take place.