11.12.2020.
The formal handover of the containers for separate waste collection – the first group of 550 bio-waste containers for the city’s utility infrastructure – was held in Osijek today. This is just one part of the 31 600 containers for separate waste collection, which the City of Osijek has planned for its citizens, the investment worth in total HRK 7.8 million.
The formal event was attended by the minister of economy and sustainable development, Tomislav Ćorić, the director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, Siniša Kukić, the deputy mayor of Osijek, Boris Piližota, and the director of the utility company Unikom, Davor Vić.
“One million and 230 thousand containers for more than 400 units of local self-government that applied to this call will make it easier for the citizens to separate waste. Of course, our job doesn’t end here. The goals should not only be achieved, but surpassed,” said the minister of economy and sustainable development Tomislav Ćorić, PhD, praising the efforts that Osijek is putting in the establishment of the waste management system. The minister pointed out that the support from and responsible conduct of the citizens were the most important factors in achieving results. “Consequently, the Fund will continue with educational activities. The idea behind the campaign “For an even more enchanting Croatia!” is to additionally encourage the citizens to get informed and separate the waste at source,” concluded the minister.
“The citizens are the users of utility services and they will be even more motivated to separate the waste at source if they have readily available infrastructure. The containers, purchased by the Fund under the EU project worth HRK 370 million, will enable this,” said the director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, Siniša Kukić. “Osijek really is the model of an urban environment that pays close attention to the environmental issues and regulating their waste management system. Landfills have been remediated, the new recycling yards have been built as well as the composting plant, so today’s supply of the bio-waste containers is especially important. These containers are just one part of the upgrade to the entire system,” believes Kukić, adding that the precondition for having a successful system is educating the citizens, such as through the campaign the town is running entitled “Osijek Čist grad – vaš ponOS” (Osijek the Clean City – a place you can be proud of) .
The deputy mayor of Osijek Boris Piližota reiterated that Osijek had been systematically investing in the waste management system. “The value of this project is almost 8 million kunas, of which 85% is from the EU funds, and 15% is co-financed by the City of Osijek. Along with the existing recycling yard, in the previous period we built two more, and the fourth is work in progress. The planned educational and information activities were completed at the end of October, showing our progress and continuity of work in waste management,” said Piližota.
Davor Vić, the director or the utility company announced that, in order to achieve the separate waste collection goals, each household will have 4 bins for separating different types of waste.
The goal of this project is to establish the system where waste is separated at source. The quantity of the generated mixed municipal waste has to be reduced as well as the share of biodegradable waste in it. Consequently, the quantity of recyclable waste will grow and it can be further used as raw material. The purchase of these containers will help the units of local self-government to achieve the goals and tasks of waste management plans at local and national level.
