The law on waste management is a key step towards the creation of a cleaner, healthier and ecologically sustainable Montenegro, it will prohibit the use of plastic bags and single-use plastics from October 20, and the range of fines is from one thousand to 40 thousand euros.
This was announced at the press conference "Presentation of the Law on Waste Management, with special reference to the ban on the use of plastic bags and single-use plastics", organized by the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North.
Relevant Minister Damjan Ćulafić said that the Law on Waste Management, which is in accordance with the highest European standards, brings a modern, efficient and sustainable framework for waste management in Montenegro, PR Center reports.
"One of its essential components is precisely that it provides an opportunity for the development of a green economy, which will create new jobs and enable more efficient use of natural resources. The Law on Waste Management represents the long-term vision of Montenegro as an ecological state, in which the protection of nature is imperative. Managing waste simultaneously represents the protection of public interest. By adopting this law, we have shown that we are ready to face environmental challenges and take responsibility for the preservation of our country for future generations," Ćulafić pointed out.
The law on waste management, as he said, is not just a technical solution, but a key step towards creating a cleaner, healthier and ecologically sustainable Montenegro.
State Secretary in the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North, Nenad Vitomirović, explained that one of the important things in the Law is the expanded responsibility of importers and producers.
"Not only did we transpose EU directives into this law, but we also went beyond it. "Despite the fact that EU directives do not recognize tires for the extended liability system, we have included tires in the new law, bearing in mind the historical problem of tires as waste," said Vitomirović.
Head of the Directorate for Waste Management and Municipal Services, Ivan Stanišić, reminded that the Law on Waste Management was adopted on April 4 this year, and entered into force on April 20.
"In the past period, a number of changes to the most important EU directives related to the field of waste management were adopted. These are changes to the framework directive, the directive on landfills, waste packaging, waste electrical and electronic equipment and waste batteries. Within the framework of all new EU legislation, a special emphasis during the drafting of the Law on Waste was given to the establishment of an efficient organization of the extended producer responsibility system for the following types of products: packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, accumulators, vehicles and waste tires," Stanšić said. .
When it comes to the economy, as he said, not solving the issue of waste management would have a negative impact on the business environment, and tourism would be especially affected.
"These legal solutions will have a positive effect on the business environment, bearing in mind that the principles of the circular economy are encouraged, which is to produce as little waste as possible, and if it is still produced, to recycle as much as possible. This will be achieved by companies that are more innovative in business," Stanišić explained.
Article 62 of the Law on Waste Management defines the ban on the use of lightweight plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness of 15 to 50 microns.
"The use of single-use plastics is also prohibited, i.e. ear sticks (except sticks used for medical purposes), cutlery, chopsticks, plates, straws, sticks for mixing drinks, sticks for holding balloons, containers such as are boxes with or without a lid intended for immediate consumption or later, expanded polystyrene beverage containers including their caps and lids, as well as expanded polystyrene beverage glasses. Other single-use plastic products enter the extended liability system," said Stanišić.
He emphasized that the ban on the use of the mentioned products begins on October 20, the control will be carried out by the market inspection, and the range of fines is from one thousand to 40 thousand euros.
"By passing the Law on Waste Management, Montenegro intends to implement Article 31 Paragraph 2030 of the Framework Directive on Waste, the EU Directive on Amending the Framework Directive on Waste in order to prepare for reuse and recycling waste material such as paper, metal, plastic and glass to at least 11 percent of the total mass of this waste, as well as preparation for reuse and recycling of non-hazardous construction material to at least 2 percent of the total mass of this waste," announced Stanišić.
As he said, the law provided for the payment of a special fee for the disposal of mixed municipal waste, which will directly affect the reduction of the amount of this waste in landfills.
"For depositing mixed municipal waste, a special disposal fee is paid. For the disposal of mixed municipal waste, the annual income is estimated at around 820 thousand euros, if the fee is five euros per ton of this waste. On an annual basis, 163.971 tons of mixed municipal waste were deposited," Stanišić said.
The landfill fee, he explained, was introduced to encourage businesses and individuals to dump less waste into landfills and to use and buy products made from materials that can be reused and recycled.
"Using landfills is not a sustainable method of waste disposal and harms the environment. "Local self-government units that temporarily store municipal waste for more than a year, at a temporary storage location, are required to pay an annual fee per ton of municipal waste," Stanišić said.
It is estimated that, as he said, 90 thousand tons of non-hazardous construction waste are produced annually in Montenegro.
"Local self-government units do not pay a fee for the temporary storage of non-hazardous construction waste if the entity that manages construction waste processes that waste in accordance with the goals related to recycling and reuse from Article 21 of this Law," stated Stanišić.
Montenegro, as a candidate country for EU membership, has the obligation to, as he emphasized, establish a functional integrated system in waste management, and this is one of the priorities on the European road.
"Our ministry, in cooperation with the Eco Fund, started dealing with illegal landfills by adopting the state waste management plan. The construction of a regional center for waste management will create preconditions for a permanent solution regarding illegal landfills. There remains a problem that the EU members solved through increased supervision and drastic punishments for the perpetrators, which will be the practice in Montenegro in the future," explained Stanišić.
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