Waste - State and impacts (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)

Generation and management of different waste types

Municipal solid waste is one of the main waste streams generated. The quantity of municipal waste was 349 kg/inhabitant or 0.9 kg/inhabitant per day in 2008. Around 77 % of the population is covered by the public municipal waste collection system operated by public enterprises. There are 58 municipal landfills for municipal and other non-hazardous waste (Notification on the annual quantity of municipal waste generated in 2008, June 2009). Collection of non-separated municipal and non-hazardous waste, as well as non-separated non-hazardous and hazardous waste fractions is a general practice. Active landfills for municipal waste have been categorised by their environmental risk assessment (Special Study C, Closure/Reclamation of non-Compliant Municipal Landfills, 2005).

Activities of municipal waste recovery and recycling are very limited and unorganised. Recovery of many types/grades of materials with recycling potential is financially unviable under current conditions. Composting and anaerobic digestion of biodegradable waste are not practiced in the country and there is, no formal system yet for collection and recycling packaging waste. There are no organised systems for the collection of construction and demolition waste or for the collection and treatment of agricultural and livestock waste. At present, there is no organised system for collection of waste batteries and accumulators, and waste electric and electronic equipment. Waste legislation on the waste from end-of-life vehicles will enter into force in 2011 and is aimed at preventing it. Around 35 % of hazardous medical waste is collected separately, transported to and burnt at the Drisla landfill. The majority of hazardous waste is disposed of at industrial landfills. There are no official authorised hazardous waste collectors and transporters. Local hazardous waste deposits are considered as hot-spots due to their environmental impact (National Waste Management Plan (2009-2015) of the Republic of Macedonia, 2009).

Certain combustible hazardous wastes are burnt as fuels. Identification of locations with PCB-containing transformers is underway and incineration is carried out abroad.

Table 1 Overview of identified and removed PCB-containing equipment