Recycling experiences in the Republic of Macedonia

1. Recycling experiences in the Republic of Macedonia M.Sc. Margareta Cvetkovska, advisor Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning

2. Waste management policyWaste recycling-statusWaste recycling-challenges for increment Current projects-biodegradable waste recycling

3. Waste management policy • Transposition of the EU acquis for waste management in the national legislation is one of the main tasks and goals in the context of the establishment of integrated and sustainable waste management system.

4. Waste management policy • Law on Environment 2005, regulating the basic issues such as environmental permits, environmental impact assessment procedure, GHG emissions, etc., • Law on Waste Management 2004, • National Environmental Action Plans (NEAP 1996/2006), • Strategy for Waste Management of the Republic of Macedonia (2008-2020), • National Waste Management Plan (2009-2015)

5. Waste management policyThe Law on Waste Management Regulates the overall rules applicable to the following issues: • Definitions and applicability for waste types; • Waste recycling shall mean obtaining substances from waste (secondary raw materials) and their utilization as a substitution of the primary raw materials, or use of properties of the substances contained in the waste for their initial purpose, or for other purposes, excluding the direct use of the energy of the waste. • Development of strategy, plans and programmes at different levels; • Waste management and permitting procedures; • Landfills; • Waste combustion and incineration; • Waste import, export and transit, monitoring, reporting and data management; • Supervision by the competent authorities, penalty provisions, transitional and closing provisions.

6. Waste management policyMonitoring, reporting and data management Annual consolidated reports from legal and physical persons dealing with collection, transportation, storage, treatment, processing and disposal of waste (to municipalities for non-hazardous waste, to MoEPP for hazardous waste): • Types, quantity and origin of the treated or processed waste by the waste generators, temporarily stored waste, waste handed over to the waste collector and transporter and other legal and physical persons processing waste. Annual reports from mayors of municipalities (to MoEPP for municipal, non-hazardous and inert waste): • Types, quantity and origin of the collected, transported and disposed waste. Reports from the generators of non-hazardous and hazardous waste (Cadastre of waste generators-MoEPP) • Types and amounts of generated waste, as well as the manners of waste storage, processing and disposal.

7. Waste recycling-statusWaste processing

8. Waste recycling-statusWasteprocessing • Waste processingwhich include the operations intended for utilization of the usable substances and components of waste, including the procedures for reuse, recycling and use of waste as energy source, with the exception of waste burning for definite disposal of waste. 1. In annual consolidatedreports from mayors of municipalities • 2009 only two municipalities report waste processing in quantity of 498,4 T or in percentage of whole collected municipal and other non -hazardous waste is 0,13%. • 2010 one municipality report waste processing in quantity of 310,6 T or in percentage of whole collected municipal and other non-hazardous waste is 0,09%. 2. From the Cadastre of waste generators • 2009 legal and physical persons generators of waste report waste processing in quantity of 380.585,36 T and 162.161,35 m3 or in percentage of whole produced waste is 2,14%.

9. Waste recycling-statusWaste processing

10. Waste recycling-status • Activities of municipal waste recovery and recycling are very limited,without any organized approach. Recovery of recyclable materials, such as metal, paper, plastics, is performed by the legal entities and informal sector. • Composting and anaerobic digestion of biodegradable waste are not practiced in the country. • There are no organized systems for collection of construction and demolition waste, as well as for collection and treatment of agricultural and live-stock waste. • At present, there is no organized system for collection of waste batteries and accumulators, and waste electric and electronic equipment.

11. Waste recycling-status Recycling of biodegradable waste Recycling of separate fractions of waste Validity of recycling of waste wood, secondary and tertiary packing, used ties, waste oils, waste metals and electric and electronic wastes. • Separate collection and aerobic or anaerobic treatment will raise expenses for 12,5%; • Uncertain quality of compost; • Uncertain and limited market; • For achievement of defined goals with biodegradable waste, essential is MBT treatment and usage of remains for coverage and remediation of landfills.

12. Waste management-present • Macedonia have limited markets for materials and products recovered from waste with intention of recycling or utilization for energy production. • The majority of recovered material for recycling would have to be exported, which will incur additional costs for handling and shipping and thus may exceed the market value of the materials.

13. Waste recycling-challenges for increment According to the waste legislation, the following are the priorities in waste management in the Republic of Macedonia: • Avoidance of waste generation and reduction of harmful impacts of the waste on the environment and human life and health • Improvement of production technologies to reduce the waste generation and and use of ecological products and less packaging • Waste recycling and reuse either in another process for raw materials extraction or through energy recovery.

14. Waste recycling-challenges for increment The implementation of the activities of integrated, financially sustainable, and environmentally acceptable waste management is based on several strategic principles, namely: • The principle of solving the waste problem at the source of its generation. • Separation of hazardous from non-hazardous waste streams at the source. • Reuse of valuable ingredients of the waste. • Establishment of rationale network of waste treatment and disposal facilities. • Remedial of contaminated sites - hot-spots, i.e. industrial contaminated sites and non-compliant municipal and industrial landfills. • Waste, as a substitute for non-renewable natural resources, should contribute to GHG emission reductions.

15. Waste recycling –challenges for incrementTargets for specific waste streams

16. Current projects-biodegradable waste • Preparation of program and feasibility study for decreasing the biodegradable waste on landfills • Preparation of plans and programs by the local and central government, which have to contain methods and techniques for prevention, recycling, composting of biodegradable waste and production of biogas or other ways of utilization of materials and energy from biodegradable waste.