Despite all the campaigns and inspection and municipal supervision, the primary waste selection according to the "wet" and "dry" fraction system has not yielded the expected results, and in order to achieve this, greater citizen involvement is necessary. This is stated, among other things, in the Report on the Implementation of the Municipal and Non-Hazardous Construction Waste Management Plan in the Capital City of Podgorica for 2024, which is on the agenda of the Assembly scheduled for May 15.
The report was prepared based on data submitted by “Deponija”, “Čistoća”, “Zelenilo”, the Directorate for Inspection Affairs and the Municipal Police Service of the Capital City of Podgorica.
According to the submitted data, during the reporting year, slightly over 100 thousand tons of municipal waste were delivered to the “Livade” landfill, of which almost 73 thousand were from the territory of the Capital City. The remaining quantity was delivered from the municipalities of Danilovgrad, Nikšić, Tuzi, Plužine and the Royal Capital of Cetinje.
As stated, during the year, the number of metal containers increased by 22 percent compared to 2023.
"A study is currently being prepared that will record all container locations in the territory of the Capital City, with the aim of providing better quality services," the document states.
Last year, the number of users increased from 71.069 to 73.781, or 3,8 percent. According to the data provided in the Report, at the end of 2024, the collection percentage was also high - in the category of individuals, 93 percent of bills were collected, and in the category of legal entities, 91 percent.
The document, however, points out that challenges still exist when it comes to selective waste disposal:
"Despite the necessary activities of the competent authorities, companies responsible for municipal waste management, and the implementation of inspection and municipal supervision, the primary selection of waste according to the principle of 'dry' and 'wet' fractions has not yielded the expected results. The key challenge is the low level of citizen involvement, which indicates the need for continuous strengthening of environmental awareness about the importance of responsible waste management," the document states.
As a positive example, it is cited the cooperation with catering establishments which, as it is added, are increasingly included in the organized system of waste packaging collection and in which more and more of them are involved. Thus, last year, as the document states, a little over 174 tons of glass packaging were collected, which is exported to Bulgaria.
For the coming period, among other things, it is proposed to intensify activities on primary waste selection, increase capacities for selection, recycling and waste processing. It is also suggested to build the missing infrastructure for waste management, but also to strengthen inspection and municipal supervision.
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