Facts, trends and challenges in waste management in the

Republic of MacedoniaM.Sc. Margareta Cvetkovska,

Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning

Republic of Macedonia

Waste management-present

Waste management policy

Waste management information system

Waste management-challenges

Waste management-present Sub-standard with regard to human and financial

resources, Insufficient and ineffective with regard to monitoring

and law implementation as well as hampered by political and social lacks (like execution of enforcement, stakeholders consultations, public awareness),

Characterized with lack of data and information on the local and national levels.

Waste management-present Around 77% of the population is covered by the public municipal waste

collection system operated by public enterprises. Around 35% of the hazardous medical waste is collected separately,

transported to and burnt at the "Drisla" landfill which provides service on the area of the capital of Skopje.

Activities of municipal waste recovery and recycling are very limited, without any organized approach. Recovery of recycable materials, such as metal, paper, plastics, car batteries and accumulators is performed by the 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.

Waste management-present Hazardous waste is sold/recycled and disposed of in-

site the plants or together with the municipal waste. Identification of locations with PCB containing

transformers is underway and incineration is carried out (abroad).

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.

Diferent waste types

66,33%

18,79%

2,11%

2,74%

1,92% 7,67%

0,10%0,30%

0,03% 0,03%

Proportional share of different waste types

Waste from excavation of minerals and ore processing

Agricultural waste - manure

Agricultural waste - plant residues

Municipal waste

Construction and demolition waste

Non-hazardous waste from power plants, thermal, metallurgical and inorganic chemical processes

Used tires, accumulators, end-of-life vehicles

Hazardous waste

Municipal waste generation

197228

281 289 297

348

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

2003* 2004* 2005 2006* 2007* 2008

kg

Municipal waste generation in kg per capita per year

Total and sector specific GHG emissions

The general 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.

The general 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)

The Law on Waste Management Regulates the overall rules applicable to the following issues: Definitions and applicability for waste types; 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.

The Law on Waste Management Does not regulate the management of waste

originating from mining. This subject is regulated in the Law on Mineral 2007.

Partially regulates the waste falling within the scope of veterinary activities, and other product with natural origin which could be used in the agriculture.

Responsibilities of MoEPP and municipalities

Task and responsibilities of MoEPP on waste management:

Planning and policy development Registration, issuing permits and

licensing Organization an effective solid

waste management system for hazardous waste

Monitoring, data collection Inspection

Task and responsibilities of the municipalities:

Organization the collection, transportation and disposal of municipal wastes

Supervising transportation and disposal of industrial non-hazardous waste

Deciding on the location of waste management facilities, issuing local regulations on waste management facilities

Establishment of the nonhazardous and inert waste landfills

Issuing environmental permits (IPPC B-permits)

The bylaws based on the Law on Waste Management

Regulate the permitting procedures and determine technical and other conditions for waste storage and transfer, acceptance in landfills and landfill operations.

Specific importance is attributed to activities for regulation of hazardous waste aimed at putting the hazardous waste under control, including asbestos waste, PCB containing waste, waste oils, medical waste, waste from titanium dioxide, end-of-life vehicles and used tires.

Law on Ratification of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Storage 1997

Regulate the cross-border movement of hazardous waste

Transposition of the main EU waste related directives in the Macedonian

legislation

Law on packaging and packaging waste 2009 Law on batteries and accumulators 2010 Rulebook on incineration of waste 2009

Two regulations will be adopted Regulation on waste transport (1013/2006),

Regulation (EC1774/2002) specifying the health regulations for animal by-products not intended for human consumption.

Two directives will be transposed Directive on waste electric and electronic equipment

2002/96ЕC, Directive on environmental liability (2004/35/EC) and

adoption of national regulations on soil quality and contamination will provide the legal basis necessary to initiate negotiations related to activities aimed at hot-spots remedial.

Waste management information system

The implementation and maintenance of a data collection/information system shall cover data on:

The sources, nature, quantities and fate of waste The main information on facilities for recovery,

recycling and energy utilization of constituents of individual waste streams and

Information on final disposal facilities

State of environment reports Annual reports on all environmental media Indicators reports Environmental statistics reposrts SOER reports Web page of the Ministry of Environment and Physical

Planning

Waste management-challenges The principle of solving the waste problem at the

source of its generation Separation of hazardous from non-hazardous

waste streams at the source and separate further treatment or deposition of such streams

Recovery of valuable ingredients of the waste Establishment of rationale network of waste

treatment and disposal facilities Remedial of contaminated sites – hot-spots