30 new glass recycling containers on the streets of Varvarin
From now on, the citizens of Varvarin can dispose of glass packaging from their households in special containers and thus contribute to the responsible management of this type of waste and environment protection. Thanks to the project "Management of glass packaging in the Western Balkans", 30 bell-shaped containers were distributed on the streets of Varvarin, and citizens and caterers were invited to drop in used empty bottles and jars to prevent this packaging waste from ending up in landfills. The project in Serbia is implemented through cooperation with selected cities and municipalities by the German Organization for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED), together with the company Sekopak and with the financial support of Apatin Brewery.
The Deputy Mayor of Varvarin, Dejan Milanović, believes that the glass recycling bells will contribute to the improvement and easier application of the environmental habits of the citizens of Varvarin. "The long-term cooperation we nurture with the German Organization for International Cooperation (GIZ) in the fields of pollution, recycling and environmental protection preceded the realization of this project and we are extremely honored to continue working on improving the quality of life of Varvarin citizens" said Dejan Milanović.
PCC Varvarin is in charge of implementing the project in the field, monitoring the occupancy and dynamics of emptying the glass packaging from the bell containers. "We are proud that our municipality participates in this project, especially because we continue and expand cooperation with our partners in the field of mass recycling, thanks to which we are one of the local governments that can boast of an enviable recycling center," said Dejan Rakić, director of PCC Varvarin.
Communications Manager of Apatin Brewery, Maja Barać Stojanović, says that Apatin Brewery will always support projects that essentially improve the treatment of packaging waste. "It is not enough just to say that we have to focus on the primary selection, but also to provide the conditions for that. Recycling containers of unusual design are already attracting the attention of the citizens in this region, and they will surely interest the citizens of Varvarin to adequately dispose of glass packaging. We believe that Varvarin, as a new pilot municipality from the Rasina district, will become a real example of the primary separation of glass packaging ", said Maja Barać Stojanović.
Expressing satisfaction that the partnership with PCC Varvarin is expanding the network of glass packaging waste collection, Milica Kuzmanov, Marketing Manager of the company Sekopak, the operator of packaging waste, said that education on recycling is key to the success of this project. "Primary selection implies sorting waste at the place of its origin, i.e. in households, and we hope that we will motivate citizens to adopt this habit and recycle glass packaging", said Milica Kuzmanov.
A dozen cities and municipalities from Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina participate in the project and 600 bells for glass recycling have been set up in Niš, Kragujevac, Sombor and Varvarin. NALED representative and Project Manager Sanja Knezević Mitrović points out that one of the goals of this project is to increase the amount of collected glass packaging by 20% in selected cities and municipalities. „The project will also develop a document, i.e. a guide with recommendations and instructions for local governments, that can be applied by all cities and municipalities across the region, in order to initiate the process of introducing primary selection of waste. By steering the waste management methods and raising awareness about its importance, we are also making a direct contribution towards further EU accession of project participating countries“, highlighted Sanja Knežević Mitrović.
