How to Improve the Existing Waste Management Concept in Croatia?

The existing waste management concept in Croatia needs to be improved to align with the latest EU guidelines. It is clear that waste is being handled in an uncivilized manner, and Međimurje County and Prelog demonstrate how it is possible to build a sustainable waste management system, and their example should be followed by a larger part of Croatia. Because there are solutions for collected and processed waste to remain in the value-added zone.

This was emphasized by the Minister of Environment and Nature Protection, Slaven Dobrović, at the signing of the decision for seven cities and municipalities in Međimurje County to join the international Zero Waste 2020 strategy, highlighting that the problem is significant and must be addressed collectively, at a table where everyone has access with their proposals. The decision was signed by representatives of the City of Prelog and the municipalities of Goričan, Donji Kraljevec, Sveta Marija, Donji Vidovec, Donja Dubrava, and Kotoriba, as well as the representative of the Zero Waste Europe network, Bernard Ivčić from Green Action.

“Međimurje and Prelog have shown that significant results in waste management can be achieved in a relatively short time. Waste management is also an indicator of the level of societal development. Associations can and are very good partners to local self-government units and authorities. I hope that other municipalities will follow this positive example,” said Ivčić.

Similarly, the Mayor of Prelog, Ljubomir Kolarek, emphasized in his brief address that the area of Lower Međimurje separately collects more than 60 percent of useful waste, and their goal is to reduce the amount of disposed waste from the current 98 kilograms per capita per year to 50 kilograms per capita annually by 2020.

Moreover, as noted by County Prefect Matija Posavec, Međimurje has been recognized in recent years as a leader in waste management. This is supported by investments from the state and the Fund in municipal vehicles, bins, as well as assistance in the construction of composting facilities and sorting plants.

After the signing, the minister, accompanied by the County Prefect of Međimurje, the Mayor of Prelog, the director of the municipal company GPK PRE-KOM, Siniša Radiković, and the director of Tehnix, Đuro Horvat, visited the composting facility, sorting plant, and recycling yard. They also visited low-energy houses in Čehovec, presented by the director of the company Domet, Branko Erent.

The composting facility and sorting plant in Prelog are used by seven cities and the county of Lower Međimurje, which has about 24,000 residents. The construction of the composting facility in Prelog cost 2.9 million kuna, of which the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund (FZOEU) provided 80 percent of the funding. The capacity of the composting facility is 1,500 tons of processed compost annually, which is used as a high-value fertilizer, and each user of the GPK PRE-KOM municipal service receives 100 liters of compost annually for their own needs.

Additionally, the FZOEU co-financed the construction of the sorting plant worth 3.7 million kuna with 82 percent, which has been operational since September 2015 and has a capacity for collecting and processing 4,500 tons of waste annually. The sorting plant processes useful waste collected in special bags at the doorstep and waste received at the recycling yard of the municipal company.

“The Fund will, along with the establishment of recycling yards, sorting plants, and composting facilities, in which it has so far invested 64.5 million kuna, also encourage other projects aimed at preventing waste generation. Here, I primarily mean the establishment of reuse centers, which represent an exceptional and so far underutilized potential for environmentally friendly economic and social activities and are in line with the trends of circular economy development,” emphasized Sven Müller, director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund.

In Međimurje, other waste management projects are also being implemented in accordance with the new EU circular economy package and the Zero Waste philosophy. This does not mean that we no longer produce waste, but that we learn to manage resources responsibly. In Čakovec, the construction of a waste management facility with a composting facility, estimated at 32 million kuna, has begun, which will also be co-financed by the Environmental Protection Fund. The value of the first phase of construction works is about 750,000 kuna, which the FZOEU co-finances with 40 percent. By the end of 2016, obtaining building permits for another four phases, including the construction of a recycling yard, sorting plant, and composting facility, is planned.