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As a part of the waste management plan, which is being implemented by the City of Belgrade in cooperation with its Secretariat for Environmental Protection and public utility company (JKP) Gradska čistoća, the first recycling yard in Serbia’s capital was opened in the suburb of Bežanijska kosa, the local government’s portal reported.
“This is the first of 14 recycling yards that will be opened throughout the territory of Belgrade, providing citizens with the opportunity to bring recyclable waste to be taken care of here. Here we will sort and bale all waste and it is the first step in the expansion of recycling in the city. By the end of the year the city of Belgrade should have six recycling yards, while the aforementioned number of 14 is planned to be reached before the end of 2018,” said Miroslav Bogdanović, head of Gradska čistoća.
Citizens who choose to bring the material are not obliged to sort it, since the recycling line can separate waste. Itg would be better if the waste was initially sorted, but it is not necessary, and in addition to standard waste, citizens can bring electronic equipment and oils like motor or edible oil, he added.
The city should have six recycling yards by the end of this year and a total of 14 by the end of 2018.
Bogdanović also stressed the importance of education in terms of recycling, saying the process began a little more than 18 months ago.
“Every time we have the opportunity, through the media we invite fellow citizens to join and participate in recycling and disposal of waste. Belgrade deserves to be cleaner and to look like any other city in the Europe where recycling rate is high. We plan a reloading station with a recycling line in the municipalities of New Belgrade and Zemun, which will allow us to reduce transportation costs and also give us the recyclable material that we can sell,” he said.
Bogdanović reminded of problems with underground containers and specified that some of them have already been repaired for municipal waste, while 200 will be repurposed for recycling. So far 30 were reconstructed, he said.
