Waste Management in Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vesić Bsc Assistant Minister Sector for managing and planning

Institutions in Waste Management Ministry of Environmental Protection Secretariat for Environmental Protection and Sustainable development of Vojvodina Province Local – municipal authority Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) Environment Protection Fund Recycling Agency Laboratories for waste characterisation Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

National Waste Management Strategy Adopted in 2003 A basic document providing conditions for the rational and sustainable waste management Main goals: orientation of waste management for the next period, short-term and long-term period, in compliance with EU directives Main principles: sustainable development, regional approach to waste management, precaution, “the polluter pays”, waste management hierarchy, implementation of the best practical environmental options (BPEO), producer’s responsibility Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Waste Management Options according to the Strategy Waste reduction at source Reuse Recycling Composting Anaerobic Digestion Waste Incineration Other methods for treatment of waste Waste disposal Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Progress in the policy preparation National Sustainable Development Strategy (public debate is on going) Strategy for sustainable use of natural resources and goods (first draft is prepared) Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Waste Management Legal Framework Law on Environmental Protection (2004) Law on SEA (2004) Law on EIA (2004) Law on IPPC (2004) Law on ratification of Basel convention (1999) Law on waste handling (1996) Law on transportation of hazardous substances (1999) Regulations on determining the location and operations of waste disposal sites (1992) Law on communal activities (1998) Law on ratification on Kyoto Protocol (2007) Regulation on type of pollution, criteria for calculation of cost recovery for environmental pollution, amount and the manner of calculation of fees (2005) Regulation on parameters and criteria for return, release and reduction of paying charges for environmental pollution (2005) Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Waste Management Legal Framework Draft Law on Waste Management in compliance with the EU Directives (in procedure for adoption) Draft Law on packaging and packaging waste Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Current situation in municipal waste management Waste generation in Serbia is 0.8 kg/per capita/day 300 kg/year, 2003 (according to the National Strategy) SEPA – report for 2006: 1.37 kg/per capita/day (500 kg/year) 50.5 % of municipal waste is collected; Rural areas are not covered by organized waste collection Public Utility Companies – responsible for waste collection and transport Waste disposal without any pre-treatment There are about 160 official landfills (dumpsites) but only one proper sanitary landfill in operation at the moment Dumpsites are often subject to uncontrolled burning Insufficient number of containers No organized recycling system at the moment Low level of public awareness about waste management Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Municipal waste composition Non ferrous metal 2% Plastic 5% Ferous metal 4% Rubber 1% Glass 7% Organic waste 30% Texstile Other 21% Paper and cardboard 26% Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Required Capacities for Municipal Waste Management According to the Strategy: 29 regional sanitary landfills 44 transfer stations 17 recycling centres 7 composting facilities 4 incinerators Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Resent activities in Ministry In 2004 and 2005 involved in investing in making project documentation for construction of regional sanitary landfills and rehabilitation of existing landfills Environment Protection Fund continuing in financing of technical documentation for construction of regional sanitary landfills Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Results Construction of 4 regional sanitary landfills: Kikinda (Ada, Zitiste, Nova Crnja, Novi Becej, Becej) Nova Varos (Priboj, Prijepolje, Sjenica) Uzice (Bajina Basta, Pozega, Arilje, Cajetina, Kosjeric, Lucani, Ivanjica, Cacak) Prokuplje (Kursumlija, Blace, Zitoradja) In preparation is construction of 5 regional sanitary landfills: Leskovac (Lebane, Medvedja, Bojnik, Crna Trava, Vlasotince) Pirot (Dimitrovgrad, Bela Palanka, Babusnica) Sremska Mitrovica (Sabac) Vrsac (Bela Crkva, Alibunar, Plandiste) Smederevo (Pozarevac, Kovin) Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Urgent actions Further harmonization of legislation with the EU Directives Implementation of the Environmental and Sustainable development policies Address of hot spot locations contaminated with hazardous waste Construction of regional sanitary landfills Biodegradable waste redirection from the landfills High potential for waste recycling Treatment and disposal facility for hazardous waste Address of past pollution liability in the privatisation process Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Urgent actions High potential for waste recycling Increasing of recycling rate according to the National Waste Management Strategy and National Environmental Strategy Separation of packaging waste Establishing of recycling centers for packaging waste Treatment of electronic waste Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Current situation in hazardous waste management There are no reliable data on the volumes of hazardous waste generated by industry No any landfill for hazardous waste in Serbia No treatment of hazardous waste in Serbia Hazardous waste is keeping in the temporary storages (some of which operate for several decades) on the industrial sites Enforcement of IPPC Law should improve the situation Past pollution liability in privatisation process Hot spot locations Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Required urgent actions Establishing of cost-effective and environmentally sound solutions for each waste stream (PCB waste, POPs, pesticides, waste oil, end-of-life vehicle, fluorescent tubes, asbestos, batteries and accumulators, chemicals etc.) Construction of hazardous waste landfill and treatment facilities Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Current situation in healthcare waste management No segregation of infectious waste in the hospitals No treatment of infectious waste No specialized company for collection and proper transport of healthcare waste (collection and transport is provided by Public utility company which is responsible for municipal waste) No specialized vehicles for transport of infectious healthcare waste Disposal of infectious waste on the official municipal landfills (dumpsites) There are on going projects financed by EAR on supplying of 78 autoclaves for treatment of healthcare waste in the hospitals of Serbia and technical assistance for national healthcare waste management plan and regulations on healthcare waste which are expected under the Draft law on Waste Management Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Required urgent actions Separation of waste at its origin, proper handling, packaging, labelling, inactivation, and temporary storage (duration and conditions) in health care facilities, Proper transportation of healthcare waste to its final destination for destruction and disposal, Adequate treatment for each category of healthcare waste, Responsibilities of public health authorities, producers of healthcare waste and waste disposal companies. Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia

Department for waste management Zoran Tešić, Head of Department zoran.tesic@ekoserb.sr.gov.yu Dragoljub Bijelovic, Chief of Unit for Industrial and Communal Waste dragoljub.bjelovic@ekoserb.sr.gov.yu Radmila Šerović, Chief of Unit for Medical, Biological and other waste streams radmila.serovic@ekoserb.sr.gov.yu Ministry of Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia