Tuzla canton to get regional solid waste landfill

The new landfill will serve three municipalities in the Tuzla canton, with a population of about 95,000. Sweden has approved a EUR 2.5 million grant to help finance the construction of the sanitary landfill, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided EUR 5 million in lending for the project.

The EBRD and Sweden have joined forces to support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s efforts to improve its solid waste management infrastructure. Once the landfill is completed, it will serve three municipalities in the Tuzla canton, Živinice, Banovići, and Kladanj.

“We are committed to supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina in upgrading its environmental infrastructure. Building sanitary landfill sites and recycling systems will help to reduce pollution and create opportunities in the circular economy,” said Manuela Naessl, EBRD Head for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The new landfill will help reduce water and soil pollution and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Construction work has started and is managed by the regional solid waste company, Eko-Sep, according to the EBRD.

In the next phases of the project, leachate treatment plants and systems for the production of electricity from landfill gas will be built

In the next phases of the project, leachate treatment plants and systems for the production of electricity from landfill gas will be built. The EBRD has announced that it will continue to co-operate with the Tuzla canton to further upgrade the project.

The EBRD’s loan of EUR 5 million for the construction of the regional solid waste landfill in the Tuzla canton was approved in 2019, while Sweden provided an investment grant of EUR 2.5 million.

The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) also backed the investment, with EUR 360,000 in project implementation support.

The EBRD says it has invested EUR 2.78 billion in 193 projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina to date. The European lender also points out that it has worked intensively to promote the restructuring and expansion of the local private sector, establish closer ties with wider regional markets, and encourage more efficient and sustainable use of resources.