Eastern Europe takes small steps towards efficient waste management

18 November 2016
Categoria:  International review
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Eastern European countries are slowly making progress towards complying with European Union directives on waste management. In Croatia separate waste collection will be mandatory, in Slovakia comprehensive legislation regarding waste has been put forward and the Czech Republic has adopted a ten-year waste management plan. In Croatia separate waste collection has been mandatory from the 1st January this year and concerns paper, metal, plastic, glass, electronic waste, used batteries, motor vehicles, oil, clothing, shoes and medicines. The local authorities in the country are required to manage at least one recycling centre or a mobile separate waste collection structure, make available to the population a suitable number of containers for collection and inform citizens about the way the service works, recently stated the Croatian Minister for the Environment. The Slovak government approved a new law on waste at the end of 2014, putting waste management in the country in line with European Union directives and standards. The law introduces the concept of producer responsibility and a new control and certification system for the metal trade. The Slovak government intend the new provisions to reduce unregulated landfills, of which there are currently circa 7,000. If the law is approved by the parliament, it will be effective as of the 1st January 2016. The Czech government’s ten-year waste management plan was recently announced by Minister of the Environment Richard Brabec and focuses on waste management. Key goals include reducing the number of landfills and the developing recycling and reusing materials. According to the Minister, the plan will be financed through a European fund.