Three out of Four New Waste Companies in Croatia Owned by Pripuz

After a problem arose during the summer months regarding the purchase of PET bottles and cans due to increased waste volumes, additional authorizations for the processing of plastic packaging were issued to the companies CE-ZA-R, Lotus 91, Metis, and Nevkoš. Until now, the companies Drava International and Brković have participated in the processing of this packaging.

The Ministry of Environment and Nature Conservation has granted new companies authorizations for the processing of packaging waste, thereby expanding the circle of processors in the system managed by the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund. The Fund emphasizes that the system has continued to function, and retailers are now seamlessly collecting from citizens.

At the end of August, delays in the collection of glass packaging were also resolved, which occurred because one processor had to adapt its facility to new fire safety regulations. Glass has since been processed at full capacity, and processing contracts are held by Unija Nova and Vetropack Straža. CE-ZA-R has also obtained a new authorization for processing.

When it comes to cardboard packaging, DS Smith Belišće Croatia was the main contractual processor and still holds the permit, authorization, and contract for the processing of waste paper and cardboard. However, in addition to it, the aforementioned CE-ZA-R, Metis, and Nevkoš now also have authorizations and are in the process of concluding contracts with the Fund.

The inclusion of additional companies is expected to relieve the cardboard packaging collection system, which has so far been concentrated on one dominant processor, DS Smith Belišće Croatia, which has since announced the closure of the Paper Factory in Belišće and the redirection of production towards the modernization of the Packaging Factory, into which it plans to invest 15 million euros.

New Model

Additionally, since the beginning of this year, a new full-cost model has been implemented, under which the Fund manages waste packaging on behalf of producers. This has changed the previous way of doing business, as retailers can no longer place cardboard packaging on the market; instead, its collection and processing occur through the Fund. Depending on the market value of the waste, the processing costs are covered either by the processors themselves or by the Fund.

As explained by the Fund, the Ministry also conducted public calls for the granting of authorizations for the processing of special categories of waste during 2025, including packaging, electronic waste, waste tires, and waste oils, thereby increasing the circle of companies that can manage collection networks.

– When all necessary conditions are met, the entire system will be further improved due to the larger number of contractual processors per category. If the authorizations are insufficient to cover the capacity, the Fund will exceptionally ensure a collection network and processing for a specific category of waste through a public call – explains the Environmental Protection Fund.

Who Are the New Companies?

CE-ZA-R Recycling Center is located in Jankomir, Zagreb, and is owned by C.I.O.S. group. It is the largest operational member of the group and an important company in the waste management sector in Croatia. The main activity of the Recycling Center is the collection, recovery, and trading of metal waste and other waste materials with a predominantly metal component. The chairman of the supervisory board of CE-ZA-R is Ante Pripuz.

The company Metis, which is also majority-owned by the C.I.O.S. group, manages non-hazardous and hazardous waste with storage facilities in Rijeka, Kukuljanovo, Pula, Ogulin, and Otočac, and also collects and disposes of bio-waste from hospitality establishments.

The company Nevkoš is a municipal company from Vinkovci that primarily collects and transports municipal waste from households and maintains the cleanliness of public traffic areas in Vinkovci and surrounding municipalities. The owners of Nevkoš are Ivan Pripuz, also the deputy chairman of the Supervisory Board of the C.I.O.S. group, the company Eko-Flor Plus (also owned by the C.I.O.S. group), Petar Bertić, and Veronika Čepo.

Lotus 91 is a waste management company from Varaždin that specializes in the collection of plastic packaging and was established in 1991. It is owned by entrepreneur Željko Črnile, who is also the director of the company.