Zagreb's new waste management model was introduced two years ago. While the mayor praises the results, the city's residents are unhappy with the overflowing waste containers. Environmentalists say that while some progress has been made, the situation outside the city centre is still chaotic.

Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic said that significant progress has been made in the last two years on the two main goals – increasing the waste separation rate and removing as many waste containers as possible from public spaces.

16.006 fines for violating waste disposal regulations in two years

Following the introduction of the new waste management model, Zagreb recorded the largest increase in waste separation of all cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants in 2023, by 50% compared to 2022, Tomasevic said.

From 1 October 2022 to 24 September 2024, 16,006 fines were imposed for violating waste disposal regulations, worth 1.3 million euros.

Tomasevic also says that 143 underground waste containers were installed in 39 locations in the city centre last year and that more are to be installed in 11 locations.

By the end of 2027, 2,253 semi-underground waste containers will be installed at 751 locations across the city, an investment of more than 10 million euros.

NGO Green Action against waste incineration

The non-governmental organisation Green Action is delighted with the thorough reform of the waste management system and the progress made, to which it says it has contributed via the responsible task force.

“A number of measures have been taken to make waste management more efficient, fees fairer and the city cleaner,” Marko Kosak from Green Action, who coordinates the Zero Waste Croatia network, told Croatian news agency Hina.

This has led to a decrease in the amount of waste sent to landfill. However, the full effect of the measures will only be seen when the new model is implemented throughout the city, as the situation outside the city centre is still very chaotic, Kosak said.

“As soon as all underground and semi-underground waste bins are installed, Zagreb will finally fulfil the European waste separation targets,” said Kosak.

Kosak: The city authorities have ignored the warnings of the NGO

Green Action points out many problems with waste disposal as well as certain harmful plans that could jeopardise the entire model.

Waste recycling is paid for dearly to private companies and it is not known how much of the waste is recycled and composted. Therefore, the construction of a waste sorting plant, a bio-composting plant and a waste recycling centre must be accelerated, he said.

Green Action is very concerned that a solution involving waste incineration has been chosen.

“Large cities such as Barcelona and Munich are pursuing strategies that include measures to phase out waste incineration, while Zagreb is doing the opposite,” said Kosak, noting that the city authorities have ignored NGO warnings about the environmental, health and economic problems associated with waste incineration, as well as better solutions that treat the remaining unsorted waste as a raw material for industry, with the minimum stabilised amount of waste going to landfill.

Zagreb needs a good waste management plan

“It is still under consideration whether unsorted waste will be sent for incineration to other regions or whether an incinerator will be built in Zagreb, but we will strongly oppose it, together with the citizens who stopped the construction of the incinerator more than five years ago, which was then advocated by the (late) mayor Milan Bandic,” the NGO said.

Zagreb needs a quality waste management plan that clearly defines waste utilisation facilities in line with the priorities set by the EU, which waste incineration definitely is not, the NGO said, adding that the EU will soon start charging expensive fees for the harmful emissions produced by waste incineration.