Better waste management in Srpska

1. Better waste management in Srpska Srđan Mazalica

3. My role was: to get other young people in my region involved in the topic of sustainable development, to inform other young people in my region about what can be done to promote sustainable development.

4. Why the waste management?! „the rich do not waste”, Republic of Srpska is strongly in favourof tourism and agriculture development, Republic of Srpska wants to ensure healthy and clean future for its children.

5. The current situation in the municipal waste management sector in the RS • The existing municipal dumping sites are technically inadequate, thus representing a huge danger for all segments of the environment. • Not only the municipal waste is being dumped there but other kinds of waste too, which is additional hazard. • Collection and transportation of the generated waste is carried out by the public utility companies which are technically underdeveloped, with inadequate human resources (obsolete equipment and transportation vehicles).

6. Besides the existing “official’’ landfills in each municipality there are the “wild’’ dumping sites. • The funds of the European Commission are mostly used for the reconstructions of the “wild’’ dumping sites (e.g. in the municipalities of Kneževo and Trebinje). • Selection of the waste that can be reutilized is at low level, which makes the maintenance of the landfills more complex and more expensive. • The low environmental awareness of the citizens when it comes to the correct replacement and differentiation of the waste.

7. Activities of the RS Government in the previous period • The regional conception was accepted (as the most economic and environment friendly). The regional landfills are: Banjaluka, Prijedor, Doboj, Mrkonjić Grad, Zvornik, Bijeljina, Foča, Gacko. • Installation (1st in BiH) and the Rules and Proceduresfor the treatment and safe replacement of the medical waste. • Installation (1st in BiH) andRules and Proceduresfor the treatment and safe replacement of old generatres and batteries. • The problem of bio-mass waste resolved.

8. The most important activities in 2008 • Opening of regional companies/landfills – coverage of the RS territory – 80% with the assistance of the World Bank, • The Law on Changes and Amendments to the Law on Waste Management: • The improvement of the inspection surveillance, • Appropriate bylaws. • The Decree on Packages and Packaging Waste: • Rules for production procedures, exchange and utilization of the packages, • Setting up of the packaging waste system, • Support e.g. for recycling companies (1st installation in BiH – PET) • Rules and Procedures that will regulate the management of the wasted tires. • Installation (1st in BiH) and the Rules and Proceduresfor the treatment and safe replacement of the animal waste.

9. Activitiesof the campaign • Seminar and workshop for the activists and young leaders from the eastern RS on the Olympic mountain Jahorina: • Presentation of the current situation and of the possibilities in the waste management sector in the RS, • Defining of the main objectives and activities of the campaign.

10. Objectives of the campaign • Promoting the idea of the sustainable development, • Raising the awareness of the young people in order to: • Replace the waste correctly without environmental pollution, • Differentiate the waste which will ensure reduction of the quantity of the waste placed in the landfills and increase quantity of the waste that can be turned into the raw material for the new products. • Speeding up of the passing of certain bylaws.

12. Watch where you throw (garbage)!For more beautiful Srpska! • video clip, • TV program”Ekologika”, • Lobbying at the RSNA session, for the mentioned objectives,

14. Participating in the RTRS television program broadcasted in the morning, • Announcement of the initiative for the collection of PET packages in the streets, • Promotioning the first PET recycling plant in BiH.

17. Thanks for your attention!