S erbia has planned 26 regional landfills to serve as storage centers for municipal waste, but currently, only ten are in operation. The biggest issue is the disposal of municipal waste in locations that lack proper infrastructure and are not designated for this purpose. If municipal waste is stored in unsanitary and uncontrolled landfills, it can further contaminate groundwater and surrounding water sources.
The good news is that, as part of the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s activities, work is underway on the construction of six new regional landfills, which could somewhat improve the situation. Waste that ends up in nature, unsanitary landfills, or illegal dumpsites poses a serious risk to human life and health. Due to the lack of primary waste separation, various other waste components are often found in municipal waste, including metals, construction debris, and medical and pharmaceutical waste.
This is why it is crucial to work on developing a primary waste separation system, which involves collecting and sorting waste at the source. Serbia is aligned with EU regulations regarding municipal waste management laws, but the problem lies in their implementation.
The situation on the ground does not match what is prescribed by law. The main issues are insufficient infrastructure and a lack of public awareness. Additionally, local governments often lack the capacity to implement their responsibilities effectively with the resources and funding available. This is why pilot projects and EU funds can serve as a significant boost, especially for smaller municipalities.
IN FOCUS:
- Solar Project on the Tamiš Riverbank
- Modern Technologies in Waste Management
- Waste as a Resource – the Path to Sustainable Energy in Serbia
A successful example is the cross-border cooperation project BEST Cooperation in Waste Management – Towards a Sustainable Environment, funded by the European Union and implemented by NALED in collaboration with the Center for Ecotoxicological Research. Participants in the project included the City of Novi Pazar and the Municipality of Tutin in Serbia, as well as the municipalities of Mojkovac, Bijelo Polje, and Kolašin in Montenegro.
These municipalities have gained tangible benefits, including guidelines and infrastructure improvements that enable them to manage municipal waste more effectively. Novi Pazar received 1,500 waste bins and a waste collection vehicle, while Mojkovac received 500 bins and a waste baling press. Field results indicate that residents in these areas are developing greater environmental awareness and taking better care of their surroundings. Some former problematic landfills have now become examples of good waste management. Additionally, certain waste management centers operate according to the highest standards, using the best available technologies. For instance, the Vinča landfill has significantly improved municipal waste collection in Belgrade, and the next step should be utilizing municipal waste as an energy source.
Another critical measure is the improvement of the deposit return system for collecting packaging waste, which NALED has been advocating for years. There are announcements that this system will be implemented by 2027. Initially, the deposit system will focus on plastic bottles and aluminum cans. This is a return system, meaning that once products are consumed, the packaging will no longer end up in municipal landfills but will be returned to the production cycle.
NALED is also promoting the use of new digital solutions, including applications that will enable a modern packaging waste management system in Serbia.
The European Union co-financed this project under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II) through the Serbia-Montenegro Cross-Border Cooperation Program 2014- 2020. The funding agreement with the European Union was signed with the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia—Sector for Contracting and Financing Programs from EU Funds.
Slobodan Krstović
The story was published in the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY
