GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES TO BE PROVIDED TO RECYCLERS AS WELL: 3.5 BILLION DINARS FOR WASTE COLLECTORS

29. November 2019.

Recyclers could count on Government subsidies amounting to a total of three and a half billion dinars next year. The next year's budget proposal foresees 27 percent more funds for the environmental sector. All the "surplus" will be directed to the budget fund, so that it will actually be 45 percent higher than the current one.

Serbia, like other countries in the world, is trying to turn to the circular economy, the principle of which is to use resources, so that waste could be eliminated. Should this turnaround come to fruition, the plastic packaging sector alone would create 2,000 new jobs and generate close to 160 million euros. This information was heard at the conference "Waste Management in the Context of Climate Change", which was organized by GIZ and the Ministry of the Environment.

“Thanks to an agreement reached with the Ministry of Finance, we will have a larger budget next year. We will have the largest increase in the incentives for the recycling industry. For years, recyclers, especially those dealing with hazardous waste, have been able to collect more than they do, but the state has no means to support them. If we want to clean the country, we have to help them. This, too, is a matter of circular economy. We have to collect the waste first and then see how it will be used,” Minister Trivan said.

Serbia is also preparing new solutions through the Law on Waste Management.

“We need to recycle, separate and save the resources. The law will put the issue of plastic bags down to the local level, which is responsible for environmental management. We will pay attention to pharmaceutical waste. Companies dealing with waste that breach the regulations will not be able to regain their license to do the job, "Minister Trivan said.

Analyzes show that 16 kg of waste per capita is generated annually in the plastic packaging sector in Serbia. Of that, only 22 percent is recycled. As many as 32 kg of waste per capita is generated in the EU, but 43 percent of it is recycled. When it comes to food waste in Serbia, only one percent is reused for food for the animals, biogas, compost and donations to food banks.

Source: Evening News, Business Morning and Coordinating Body