The Green Action NGO on Thursday called on the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development to adopt ambitious measures as part of the new waste management bill and set a right example in combating plastic pollution.

“Croatia can be a leader among EU member states in abandoning single-use plastics and the waste culture. Now we finally have a chance to start promoting a reuse system as a solution to single-use plastic pollution,” Green Action’s Ana-Marija Mileusnic said as part of the “Plastic-Free July” campaign.

She said that the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development was “very inert and passive” in drawing up the new waste management bill.

“Despite repeated calls for action, we are still late in meeting the initial deadlines, which will not bring about any major change other than banning the marketing of certain products,” Mileusnic said.

The Single-Use Plastic Directive says that replacement of single-use plastic products with other disposable products should be prevented, so specific provisions should be laid down to promote the development of a reuse system, she added.

In order for the system to be effective, economic incentives supporting reuse should be provided, such as taxation and effective differences in fees for multiple-use packaging. “In addition to policy- and decision-makers, we also need the support of the public at large because it is people that make the system and already now they can contribute to positive change,” Mileusnic said.