Serbia to build regional waste management centers in Pirot, Sremska Mitrovica

The Serbian Solid Waste Programme continued with the signing of a contract on financing the construction of two regional waste management systems (RWMS) in Sremska Mitrovica in the country’s northwest and Pirot in the southeast. Building and developing regional and recycling centers will solve waste management issues in 50 cities and municipalities, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced.

Minister of Environmental Protection Irena Vujović, Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Alain Pilloux, and general managers of public utility companies Regional Landfill Srem-Mačva and Regional Landfill Pirot signed contracts for the second and final tranche of the loan for the Serbian Solid Waste Programme. The total value of the project is EUR 150 million.

The funds will be used to finance the construction of the regional waste management system in Pirot and Sremska Mitrovica as well as to equip the multi-regional primary sorting system, i.e. for the procurement of containers and vehicles for waste collection within several regions, according to the international lender.

The loan is also intended for technical consulting services and supervision of works during the second phase.

The solid waste management project will be co-financed by a loan of EUR 150 million provided by the EBRD and the French Development Agency (AFD) at a ratio of 50:50.

The contracts for the projects from the first tranche were signed earlier and the works have already started, the ministry said. Regional waste management systems are envisaged to be built for Užice in western Serbia (in Duboko), Valjevo in the central part of the country (in Kalenić), the town of Nova Varoš in the west (in Banjica), and for Sombor in the north, at a site called Rančevo.

Waste management by green standard

“Thanks to the project for the construction of regional and recycling centers on which we are working fast, we will solve this problem in 50 cities and municipalities,” said Minister Vujović, adding that the regional centers follow the principles of the circular economy and obligations from the green agenda.

EBRD Vice President Alain Pilloux noted that the modernization of environmental and green infrastructure is one of the EBRD’s main priorities in the regions in which it invests.

The project aims to introduce sustainable waste management practices through the development of integrated and modern solid waste management systems compliant with EU standards

The project aims to introduce sustainable waste management practices through the development of integrated and modern solid waste management systems compliant with the European Union’s standards, which will also promote the efficient use of resources, the EBRD said. The project includes the construction of a composting plant, a primary sorting system, and material recycling facilities.

It is expected that the project will contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 282,433 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, according to the EBRD.

The contract for the Pirot waste center is worth EUR 7.5 million

The contract for the construction of the Pirot regional landfill is worth EUR 7.5 million. It includes the construction of a composting plant, a second landfill body, and a biogas plant.

“We will build a second landfill body, which will enable the City of Pirot to have safe and secure disposal of non-hazardous waste for the next 20 years. We will build a system for collecting biogas – methane from the landfill, thus taking care of air protection and eliminating the greenhouse effect,” General Manager of the Pirot Regional Landfill Nebojša Ivanov said. He added a system for the treatment of construction waste would be built to enable the recycling of materials.

Plan until 2031

The Ministry of Environmental Protection adopted the Serbian Waste Management Programme for the period 2022-2031 at the beginning of the year. It envisages cooperation between local authorities on the establishment of regional waste management centers.

Local authorities will cooperate on the establishment of regional waste management centers

The document stipulates that a region should have at least 250,000 inhabitants to form a regional center. The program also suggests that neighboring regions can share a regional sanitary landfill.

The plan is to open regional waste management centers by 2030 in Nova Varoš, Beograd, Kruševac, Kragujevac, Valjevo, Požarevac, Vranje, Novi Sad, Inđija, Sombor, Smederevo, Pančevo, Kraljevo, Niš, Zrenjanin and Vršac.